Choice and Consequence
by Chiisai-tori
Summary: The hunt is nearly over, and Kagome has made a decision that will have some important effects on their group. Is this where it finishes? Usual pairings, some angst involved. *CH 10 UP - FIC COMPLETE!* Review please!
1. 1 A Question of Priorities

Firstly – to people who reviewed "Where do I belong?" – thank you!! Hugs all round.

Disclaimer: Ok people, you know the drill…..obviously, I don't own Inuyasha, or his enemies, friends, acquaintances, etc (you get the idea). He belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Reading tips:

" " for speaking

' ' for thinking

Italics for flashbacks (not too many of those, hopefully)

Anyway, enough from me! On with the story. Read and review, please!!!! Chapters will get written much quicker that way….

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Choice and Consequence.

Chapter 1: A Question of Priorities.

"Inuyasha, get out of my way!"

"Why?"

"You know perfectly well WHY, so MOVE!!"

"No!"

"SIT!" Whump.

A mouthful of dirt mercifully muffled whatever the hanyou said next – most likely it would have blistered Kagome's ears. She walked quickly past the temporarily subdued Inuyasha and then made a dash for the well. Two years of fighting (and running from) youkai had left her in very good shape, and she was grateful for it now. She reached her target and hopped up onto the rim. Cautiously she glanced over to where she had left her fuming companion. To her surprise, he was still lying there. In fact, he hadn't even raised his head.

'The spell would have worn off by now…I didn't 'sit' him that hard,' she thought. She made as if to launch herself into the well, then stopped. Looking over at Inuyasha, still motionless on the ground, she shook her head disgustedly. She just couldn't leave him like that. Sighing to herself about inconvenient guilty consciences, she made her way back over to where he was lying. A thought struck her – 

'What if he's out cold? Hit a rock when he landed, or something? He's easy prey like this – guess I'll have to check…'

Slightly worried now, she dumped her pack on the ground and knelt down beside the hanyou. As she reached out to turn him over, a clawed hand flashed out of nowhere and pinned her wrist to the ground.

"Gotcha!"

Looking around in shock, she saw two amber eyes in a grinning face. If anything, he looked…smug. Not for the first time in her life, Kagome wanted to slug him in the face, just to get rid of that annoying, gloating, oh-so-self-satisfied expression.

"I knew you'd come back…."

"You were pretending?!" she shrieked furiously, interrupting him. His ears flattened from the noise, but he kept her wrist captive. "You – you bastard!" He was anything but apologetic.

"It worked, didn't it?"

Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

"Let_me_go!" Kagome hissed. With each word she pulled at his hold on her, but to no avail. "Ooh, I'm gonna KILL you! And to think I was actually worried about you! You lowdown, arrogant, foul-mouthed –."

He cut off her tirade by flipping her arm away, making her lose her already precarious balance. Before she could slip away, he put one hand on each of her shoulders and pushed her flat against the ground, effectively knocking the breath out of her. She stared up at him, not a little intimidated by the position he had put her in. He wasn't smiling anymore; he was growling at her, glaring at her like she was a pest he wanted to squash.

'Ooh, I'm in for it now,' Kagome thought, instinctively trying to shield herself from the oncoming blast.

Her prediction was correct.

"What the hell are you doing, leaving now? What's so important that you HAVE to be there for, huh?"

When she didn't reply, he ground his teeth in anger and shook her by the shoulders. "I said – WHY?!"

"I have tests to do, Inuyasha!" she yelled. "I DO have a life over there, you know!"

"Feh!" he snorted in contempt. "Some life – all you do is those stinking tests! You leave right in the middle of a shard hunt, right when you're actually NEEDED for once, and you just read those stupid books while you're here! It's a damn distraction that we DON'T NEED!" he roared. "Every day Naraku gets closer to the shards that are left! Sango's brother is still possessed, Miroku could die anytime from the hole in his hand - that never changes! Just because you leave doesn't mean it all goes away!" As he continued ranting at the cowering girl, an all-too familiar scent reached him. 

Tears.

'Argh, not again….'

Then another scent became distinguishable. Thick and heavy, with a coppery tang.

'What the - ? Oh, no. Oh, crap.'

It was blood. Kagome's blood.

He hadn't realised how tightly he was gripping her shoulders in his rage. Horrified, he pulled one hand up to look at it more closely. There was blood under his claws – he'd actually hurt her, badly. He numbly sat back on his haunches, allowing her to scramble out from under him. Kagome lunged for her bag, putting as much distance between herself and the hanyou as possible. Her eyes cut him to the quick – they were full of disbelief…and pain.

"Monster!" she flung at him, before disappearing down the well. He made no move to stop her. Shivering, Inuyasha buried his face in his hands, the smell of her blood reminding him sharply of just what he'd done. She had called him a monster…and he couldn't really disagree, this time. One thought echoed over and over in his mind.

'Kagome, I'm sorry…so sorry…I'm sorry.'

Night fell, and still he sat there, unable and unwilling to move.

'I didn't mean to…you'll hate me now…you're scared of me….I'm sorry!'

* * *

As the blue glow faded from around her, Kagome sat at the bottom of the well. She couldn't quite make herself believe what had just happened. Shakily, she reached one hand up to her shoulder. When she pulled it away, sticky blood coated the tips of her fingers.

'He actually ATTACKED me!'

She couldn't have 'sat' him, as he had been, well, on top of her at the time. He would have crushed her if she had used the 'word', she reasoned. 'But still, he's never lost control like that before. He's a bit rough, yeah, but he never hurt me like this….' Her thoughts trailed off as a new worry dawned on her.

'How on earth am I going to explain THIS to Mama?'

As luck would have it, no one was home. Breathing a sigh of relief at her good fortune, Kagome raced to her room to get rid of her torn and bloody uniform. 'How many of these darn things have I gone through in the last two years?' she mused. 'Well, it doesn't matter, because there is NO way I can go back there again!' The more she thought about that day's events, the angrier she became. She patched herself up as best she could. Then, after quickly changing into some clean clothes, Kagome stomped into the kitchen. Seething with fury, she opened cupboard doors with enough force to nearly rip them off their hinges, ignoring the pain the motion caused. 

"Grrr! And where is something to eat when you want it?!" she yelled.

Finally settling on some ramen (man, she was getting sick of that stuff!) she put it on to cook and continued ranting about the absent Inuyasha. "How DARE he? And after all we've done, all we've gone through together…I – I trusted him!" She stopped abruptly as she felt the familiar pricking behind her eyes. "Dammit…" She tried angrily to brush them away, but they just kept coming. So that was how her family found her – sobbing her heart out at the kitchen table.

Later on that night, lying warm in her bed, Kagome tossed and turned – trying to get to sleep. But every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was Inuyasha. She remembered the way he had glared at her when she tried to run away, how he'd growled at her, the furious look in his eyes. She hated that look, it made her want to run and hide. But slowly those images faded, to be replaced by his face at the moment that he saw that he'd injured her. A look of horror, shock, and…sorrow. He hadn't meant to do it, she realised. And…she'd called him a monster. Oh, gods, she'd called him a monster. The one thing that was sure to hurt him, to wound him terribly.

Now she wrestled with the sure-fire sleep-killer. Guilt.

Thinking back over what he'd said in his fit of temper, she had to admit that his words had some merit to them. Their enemies didn't just cease to exist when she left – her friends lived under the constant threat of attack. She had an avenue of escape, but they didn't. And what were maths tests compared to losing your entire family, like Sango? Or being consumed by your own hand? Or being branded as half-demon, half-human, belonging to both kinds and yet neither at the same time? 

'Is it really fair of me to keep doing this?' she wondered. Then she realised that there was no choice at all, if she was perfectly honest.

She had already made her decision.

* * *

Inuyasha sat alone, perched in the branches of the Goshinboku. He stared at the Bone Eater's Well with a curious mixture of apprehension and hope.

'What if she doesn't come back this time? She's threatened to do it before…Would she really leave us?' He broke off that train of thought impatiently. But it was persistent.

'At least then…I wouldn't have to face her again, after yesterday.'

He flinched, partially disgusted with himself at the relief that the suggestion produced. 'Am I really that much of a coward?'

After a while the thoughts began again. 'If she does come back, what'll I do? What can I say?' A list of possibilities ran through his mind.

"Um…hi there."

"Where have you been?!"

"What took you so long, woman?"

"Are you okay?"

"Why are you here?…"

"Feh!" He shook his head angrily. No, he'd really gone and done it this time. Blown it good and proper. Lost his shard detector. His friend. His…what? What was she, exactly? He didn't know – all he knew was that, more than anything, he wanted the impossible.

He wanted Kagome back.

A sudden movement at the well caught his attention. "Wha - ?" He dropped to the ground and raced over to the well. It couldn't be…

It was. She was here!

Puffing, she scrambled over the rim of the well. He inwardly grimaced as he noticed how she favoured her arms, trying to avoid further damage. Finally she straightened her clothing – not the usual school uniform, he noticed – and stood up to look him in the eye.

What he saw turned his heart to ice.

Nothing. Not a flicker of emotion, not even anger – which he certainly deserved, he knew. She just appraised him with a cool expression, a humourless smile fixed upon her lips. Then she pushed past him towards the village, leaving him standing in shock. Eventually she turned, cocked her head slightly, and asked, "Well, are we hunting shards or not?" Gulping, he started off after her.

'Alright, who are you and what have you done with Kagome?' he wondered desperately.

Kagome breathed a silent sigh of relief. Well, she hadn't blown up at him, and hadn't run away from him in fear – so far, so good. Her ruminations were interrupted by a fast-moving bundle of red fur. 

"Kagome!!"

Laughing, she gathered the little kitsune into her arms. "And how are you, Shippo-chan? Having fun?"

"Oh, yeah! I found a rabbit, and I chased it into the forest, and…."

She smiled as he babbled on about what he'd been doing. Such a cute little boy…er, youkai. What she wouldn't give right now to have a simple child's life instead of her own. And with what she had to live with now…She let her mind wander back to the conversation she had had with her mother that morning.

__

"Ahh – Mama, I need to talk to you about something…"

"Yes, dear?" Her mother continued making breakfast. Screwing up her courage, Kagome blurted out, 

"I have to drop out of school!" She held her breath anxiously. Her mother's hands slowed, but didn't stop their work. "Why?"

"Well, it's like this. I can't keep coming back all the time, 'cos, um, it's not really fair on the others, and they need me there for whatever happens now." She paused. "I've decided – I'm staying there until all the shards are collected…I owe it to them, Mama! But I don't know how long it will take, it could be weeks, or months even…Mama?"

When her mother finally spoke, her voice was halting and unsure. "Are you…certain? That's really what you want?" Kagome closed her eyes.

"It's not a question of what I want anymore…it's just what I have to do. I don't see any other way!"

Sighing, her mother came over to where Kagome stood, helpless. Tears stood out bright in her eyes, but she forced a smile onto her face. "You know, I thought something like this would happen eventually. I can't say I like it, but…I'm proud of you. I couldn't do what you do. So – I suppose I can't really stop you." She hugged her daughter tightly, then laughed softly. "I guess Inuyasha will be very pleased about this, won't he?" Kagome frowned.

"I'm not going to tell him."

She was brought back to reality by a stinging pain across her shoulders. Shippo, sensing that he'd lost her attention, was patting her lightly to get her to notice him. Hissing in agony, she released him, falling to the ground. He panicked. "Ahh, Kagome, I'm sorry! What did I do?"

Wordlessly she tried to reassure him, but then two other voices broke in.

"Kagome-chan!"

"Kagome-sama?"

Sango and Miroku rushed over to her, concern written all over their faces. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

Cautiously, Kagome peeked over at a somewhat stunned and fearful Inuyasha. This would get him in trouble, she wasn't sure she wanted that…Then she shrugged. 'It's not like they won't find out anyway, I can't stop them.' She slowly pulled down a corner of her shirt, exposing the evenly spaced claw marks on her shoulder. Sango drew in her breath sharply as the deep, angry welts became visible. Miroku reluctantly reached out a hand, mirroring the position of the scars to check that they were, in fact, from someone's hand. Suddenly they both put two and two together. Their heads snapped around to find the guilty-looking hanyou.

"INUYASHA!!" they cried in unison. The anger in their eyes didn't bode well for him. He ran.

"Get back here!" Sango yelled. Furious, she and the houshi raced off after him – this would not be forgotten soon. Kagome sighed. Well, he did have it coming, she supposed. Better to have the demon exterminator and the houshi to defend her than do it herself and make things worse than they already were. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she waited for her friends to return. It would be a long day, and judging by the force with which the hiraikotsu and shakujou were being used, Inuyasha would be in no fit condition to travel. Ultimately, the group would stay put for the time being. 

Justice served, a much calmer pair returned to Kaede's hut and went about helping the old miko with her duties. Inuyasha, to no one's surprise, stayed out in the forest. Much safer that way. That night they all settled down to sleep, worn out from their busy day. Kagome dropped off to sleep almost immediately.

The dreams started that night.

* * *

What did she dream? I promise, I'll tell you soon! Reviews will make the chapters come much faster – suggestions are welcome too. Next chapter: Advice From a Houshi. Up soon!


	2. 2 Advice From a Houshi

Hey there, people – the second chapter is here!! And if the plot isn't apparent just yet – well, what's the point in giving the game away too quickly? To those who reviewed – ooh, thank you!! Remember, suggestions are welcome! 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha – and if you try to sue me, you'll get zip. I'm just a poor little uni student….woe is me.

Oh yeah, as always, " "is speaking, ' 'is thinking, italics are flashbacks and/or dream sequences. Ok?

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Choice and Consequence

Chapter 2: Advice From a Houshi

__

Smoke obscured her vision, choking her. From somewhere in the distance she heard an outraged scream: 

"KAZE NO KIZU!"

Inuyasha…She felt she had to find him, to help him if she could. But for some reason she couldn't move. An explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet. A harsh gust of wind momentarily cleared the thick haze from in front of her, giving her an unobstructed view of what was happening.

Inuyasha – lying tossed in a heap, just barely moving.

Miroku – braced up against a shattered wall, his shakujou broken clean in half.

Sango – crouched down halfway between Miroku and Inuyasha, clearly unsure of who to run towards.

There were other people in the area, but their faces were indistinct and blurry. Without warning the whole scene was obliterated by a roaring, swirling wall of flame. And close by was the unmistakable presence of…Kikyou. The miko who was trying to kill her…and Inuyasha.

She awoke with a start – someone was shaking her arm. "Kyaaa!"

* * *

Inuyasha had been resting in a tree near Kaede's hut. He was unwilling to leave the group unguarded, no matter how unwelcome he was now. He rubbed his head absent-mindedly, wincing as he did so. The bumps that those two had given him had healed by now, but that didn't make the memory of getting them any less painful.

But then again, he _had_ deserved it.

Yet again, he thought back over Kagome's unexpected arrival that day. When she had first appeared in the well clearing, his spirits had lifted so high that he could have sworn he was flying…and then she had brought him crashing back down to earth with a very painful 'thud'. He had expected her to be angry with him – waited for her to 'sit' him so many times that he'd never climb out of the crater he'd made – but she hadn't done it. That in itself was ample cause for worry. And if not anger, then tears – oh, yes, he'd definitely been expecting those. The stupid girl usually cried at the drop of a hat, he mused. Then he stopped short when he remembered that he was usually the cause of those tears…ugh.

But what he had seen was complete and utter …rejection.

She had chosen not to openly acknowledge what had happened (well, not at first, anyway). Instead, she had acted almost as though he didn't even exist. Now this development was definitely something he _didn't_ like. She had brushed past him like he wasn't even there; and those cold eyes had really scared him witless. It just wasn't the Kagome he knew and…and…loved.

He had to admit it – this was something beyond friendship. After all, if Sango or Miroku turned on him like that, sure he'd be upset, but he'd be okay.

He wouldn't feel like the bottom of his world had dropped away from under him with no warning.

He clenched his fists in despair. "Dammit, I want the old Kagome back!"

Speaking of whom - his keen ears had picked up her voice murmuring in the hut below him. He sat forward, trying to make out the faint words.

"Inuyasha…no! Oh, gods, no…"

'Urk. Oh, please, don't let her be dreaming about yesterday…'

"Miroku…Sango!"

'Hmm. Maybe not.' He dropped noiselessly to the ground and stepped over to the hut, peering through the doorway. The object of his close scrutiny was thrashing about in that 'sleeping bag' of hers (he still thought that was a weird name for a blanket) and mumbling incoherently. Concerned, he hesitantly moved forward.

"What?…Where did?…." Then a gasp. "KIKYOU!"

Okay, that did it. This had to stop. He quickly scrambled over to where she lay, carefully shaking her arm. 'Wake up! C'mon, girl…' Her eyes snapped wide open, clearly terrified. She looked down to see the hand on her arm - and screamed.

"Kyaaa!"

"Ow! What the…" He stopped speaking, shaking his head to try and get the damned ringing out of his ears. "That HURTS, wench!" At Kagome's frantic scream, the other inhabitants of the hut stirred themselves sleepily into action. "Kagome-chan? What's…?"

Sango's voice trailed off as she took in the scene before her. Kagome, bolt upright in bed, scared stiff - and Inuyasha holding onto her arm. Beside her, Miroku obviously reached the same conclusion. Hiraikotsu and the shakujou were instantly snatched up, ready for use. "Let go of her, you…you - " Sango was unable to think of a suitably scathing name for him. "Let go, HANYOU!"

The hanyou in question cringed - that had stung. This was what he got for helping…

The brewing confrontation was broken off by Kagome's soft voice. "It's - it's okay, Sango-chan. Don't hurt him." For a moment his hopes rose. Maybe she was back to normal?…Ah, apparently not. She refused to look at him, instead focusing on her arm. "I just thought he was…" 'Kikyou…' "erm, someone else," she finished lamely.

Given what had happened recently, her friends were justifiably doubtful of this explanation.

"No, really!" She forced a smile onto her face for their benefit. "I'm fine - just had a dream. No big deal." All the while, Shippo was snuggling up to her, trying to comfort his surrogate mother. He hated it when she was upset. Eventually he pushed her so hard she nearly toppled over. Sighing, she laid a hand upon his head, calming the fox youkai as best she could. "Really, everyone, I'm okay. You don't need to worry!"

All this time she still hadn't looked at Inuyasha. 

Finally the group settled down again. Inuyasha turned and slunk out of the hut. If he had a tail, he was sure it would have been well and truly between his legs. 'She screamed at me…is she REALLY that scared of me now? I don't suppose she'll ever trust me again,' he thought dismally. And what was this? A suspicious burning in his eyes…oh, great, that's all he needed. The last thing he wanted was for the others to see him like this. Hanyou or not, he had a certain reputation to uphold - and that meant absolutely, positively no crying. He spun around and dashed off into his forest…no doubt quite a few hapless trees wouldn't see the sunrise. He just knew he needed to get away - NOW! Perhaps a bit of forest demolition would help calm him down…

Kagome lay in her bed, totally unaware of what her erstwhile friend was going through. Try as she might, she could not get back to sleep again. She tried counting sheep, counting the rafters in the ceiling, reciting the multiplication tables (after all, she fell asleep in maths class, didn't she?), but nothing worked. Eventually she gave up and settled in for a sleepless night. Or what was left of it, anyway. What she wouldn't give to be able to talk to her mother right now - "Argh! Stop it! Pointless wishing…" Schooling her thoughts away from home, she sat back and waited for the sun to rise.

The next morning, news of a shikon shard reached them, and so they set off in search of it. The group sincerely hoped that this would help to reverse the uncomfortable situation that they had found themselves in; but over the next few days, everyone became painfully aware of the change in their formerly cheerful companion. She was seriously dragging, stumbling over non-existent obstacles in the road, slowing them down, and generally getting them all, particularly Inuyasha, quite worried for her. There were dark circles under her eyes, indicating a lack of sleep, and she was jumping at tiny sounds from the side of the road - as if she was expecting an attack any minute. Which, unbeknownst to them all, she was.

The dream had been recurring in her sleep every night of their journey - every time there was a little more detail, but nothing to really show what was going on. And all around, the undead miko's sense was dominant. That scared her more than anything. But just as she thought she might figure out the meaning of it all, the flames came and swept the vision away, forcing her into wakefulness. And she could never get to sleep again afterwards. Throughout the day, her sleep-deprived brain would struggle with the question of what she was seeing - and asking why the hell wouldn't it leave her alone for once?! - half-expecting Kikyou, bow and arrows at the ready, to jump out from behind the bushes and wreak havoc upon them all. What with the way she was feeling right now, Kagome almost wished she would. 

Kagome trudged along the road, muttering to herself. "Blasted miko, why don't you just get it over with, huh? Come to kill us all, burn us up, yeah, sounds fun…" She brushed her hands across her eyes wearily. "Then maybe, just maybe I could get some bloody sleep for once?…" She staggered slightly, then caught her balance again. Ahead of her, Sango and Miroku glanced at each other in concern. They weren't sure what was wrong with their dear friend, but they weren't going to let it lie any longer. Something had to give.

At the front of the little party, Inuyasha heard every word she said. 'Miko? Kill us all? She can't be serious…' He looked over his shoulder at her, partly hoping to catch her eye. Her head was down, staring at the ground as she walked, her hair falling forward over her shoulders like an ebony curtain. Somewhat distressed, he examined her more thoroughly. Shoulders stooped forwards, arms hanging listlessly by her side, feet dragging on the road - where was the fire? The spirit that he knew was in her somewhere? She never smiled, certainly not at him, her laughter was non-existent, and she was talking to herself like a madwoman. And he couldn't help but feel that he was the cause of it. Wow, that thought hurt. Resolutely, he turned his attention to the road ahead.

That night as they set up camp, everyone (except Kagome) noticed that Inuyasha was being rather helpful for a change - if not downright eager to please. He caught a few rabbits for their meal, found some firewood, even brought some herbs back to help with the flavour…all the while glancing over at Kagome to see her reaction. She looked up at him once or twice, but the faint upwards curve of her mouth couldn't really be classed as a smile. More like a quiet dismissal. His ears drooped - was he _ever_ going to make her happy? Probably not. Then it hit him. 'What she needs is some time off….yeah, I'll send her home for a bit. Then we can go back to way things were!' Pleased with himself, he waited until they had eaten before making the suggestion. "Ahh, Kagome?"

She looked at him, for once not turning her eyes away. "Yes, Inuyasha?"

He took a deep breath, and plunged onwards. "You're looking kinda tired - do you think you should go back to your time for a bit? Have a rest, or something?…" For the life of him, he couldn't understand her reaction. To his way of thinking, that should at least have gotten a nod of thanks! But no. She frowned - not at him, rather at the ground - and stood up quickly. "I - I'm going for a walk. Back soon, everyone." And with the most energy she'd shown in days, she strode off into the darkness. Inuyasha scratched his head, clearly at a loss. 'I just don't get it…' His thoughts broke off suddenly as Shippo bounced up in his face, screeching at him in anger. "What did you do this time, you big jerk?" he yelled. "You're always making her mad! I hate you! You - " Inuyasha automatically reached out to whack the annoying kit on the head, silencing his tantrum. 'That was almost like - an escape…' At the sound of rustling fabric, he turned. Miroku leaned over and tapped him on the head with his shakujou. "Stay here. I will go and try to talk to Kagome-sama." Immediately the hanyou bristled in rage. 

"You try anything funny, bouzu, and I swear I'll -"

"And so will I!" Sango broke in, red-faced. Miroku regarded them both with a faintly wounded expression. 

"After all this time, you don't trust me…" he mused. Then he smiled. "Inuyasha, as much as I can see you would like to find out what's happening to Kagome-sama at the moment, it's rather unlikely that she will be willing to talk to you." Inuyasha gave an annoyed 'feh' at that, but he could see the houshi's point. "And Sango, as good a friend as you are to Kagome-sama, I get the impression that what is ailing her is something of a…spiritual nature. And that is where I can help her. Frankly, I do not like to see her this way. It worries me greatly. And if I have to invade her personal space somewhat, so be it!" With that final parting comment, he hurriedly left the fireside - leaving a rather enraged pair behind him.

* * *

Kagome wandered aimlessly in the woods until she found a log that looked comfortable. Shuddering, she let herself slide down onto it - and let the tears that had been threatening to appear all day come out. She wasn't sure exactly_what _she was crying for - her lost friendship with Inuyasha, her family, her sanity…it all came down to one thing.

She was, without a doubt, heartbroken.

It had all come to a head when Inuyasha had suggested that she go home - as though it was a favour. 'Of course,' she thought, 'he didn't know that I can't go back now…so to him it was a favour, I guess.' She sniffed, trying to control her emotions once again. 'But I made my decision - I'm NOT going to tell him that I'm staying…' She craned her neck up to look at the stars above her. They shone back at her, twinkling merrily. Unaware of the mess that was her world. She gazed at them for a long time, wishing that they could give her the answers she was desperately seeking.

That was how Miroku found her - sitting alone in the dark, staring at the night sky like a lost soul searching for meaning. It struck him all at once, how very _small_ she looked. Small and delicate - and terribly frail. Not wishing to startle her out of her wits, he eased himself onto the log, a safe distance away from her. They sat like that for a while, not saying a word. She drew some comfort from his calm presence - and he simply waited for her to begin

Eventually she broke the stillness, twisting to look him square in the eye. "You want to know what's going on." It was a statement, not a question. He just looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She sighed, running her fingers distractedly through her hair. "Alright, but promise me one thing." She swallowed. "Don't tell Inuyasha." Again he remained quiet, raising his eyebrows in a wordless inquiry. Haltingly, she started to tell her story, her voice getting stronger as she went on. About how she had made a final choice, to stay until all the shards were found, and not go back through the well. When she had finished, she looked away again. 

"Forgive me, Kagome-sama, but why aren't you telling Inuyasha this?" he asked. "I'm sure he would like to know."

She laughed bitterly. "Oh, yes, I'm sure he'd be thrilled that his shard detector wasn't going to run off and leave him!" In the shadows, Miroku frowned. "Just a shard detector? I mean, I know what happened was - "

She cut him off with an impatient wave of her hand. "No, no, that's got nothing to do with it!" She reconsidered for a moment. "Well, almost nothing. See, it's like a war we've been fighting for two years, Miroku. Do I stay, do I go? He'd just think he's finally won, and then any regard he had for me would go straight out the window! No need to be careful around me, because my presence is guaranteed. I'd be taken for granted, kept off to the side like a piece of useless equipment, to be picked up when it's needed and then tossed aside again!" The tears were flowing down her face again as she spoke. "I'll admit, I was scared of him when he…attacked me, but not anymore. After all, he still has that rosary. Now I think I just resent him for forcing this choice on me. Ack, I know he didn't have a direct hand in it, but it feels like he did. And for him to just sit there and suggest that I go home - it's just too much." She broke off, propping her chin in her hands. 

"I understand all that you've said so far, Kagome-sama, but there is something else we are all worried about." He paused, unsure of how to continue. 'How do you say 'you're acting like a lunatic' and not get slugged?' He nearly fell off the log when she stood up abruptly, turning to face him. "Miroku, I think I need your help as a houshi…as well as a friend." He smiled at that.

"Anything you wish, Kagome-sama. What is bothering you?" He watched her expectantly.

"You remember when I woke up from that dream, in the hut?" He nodded; who could forget a scene like that? "Well, the dream was - um, really…it scared me, and, ah…" she stopped. "I may as well start at the beginning." So she described the dream, all that she had seen (smiling slightly when he winced at the mention of his precious shakujou being smashed), and the ghostly presence of Kikyou pervading the whole thing. When she had finished, he sat silently, thinking about what she had told him. Then - "Is that all? Nothing more?"

"Er…" she looked slightly abashed. "They've been coming every night since I came back from my time. And I can't sleep afterwards." That caught his attention.

"Every night?" That certainly explained her behaviour.

"Yes. Sometimes a few details change, but in the end it's the same - surrounded by fire, and then that…that - " Her voice broke, letting him see the anguish it was causing her. "I can't get away from her! I feel like she's everywhere, watching my every move, following me like some ghoul, waiting for her chance to hurt me!" She dropped to her knees in the grass, pounding the ground with her fists. "I can't keep living with this! I can't!" Moving without conscious thought, the houshi moved to kneel beside her, enveloping her in a warm embrace. She stiffened slightly, then leaned into his warmth, letting it wash over her. They sat like that for a while, just relaxing in each other's company. He only relinquished his hold when she pushed gently at him. She regarded him out of calm eyes, at peace for the first time in days. "What does it mean, Miroku? What should I do?" He pondered the question for a while, then looked up at her. "Are you sure you want to hear what I think?" he asked. "It may be uncomfortable.." 

"Go ahead," she encouraged him. "Anything is better than this!"

"Very well. I believe your decision to stay…er…_indefinitely_ in this time period has made you somehow more receptive to your miko inclinations." She stared at him, not quite sure what she thought of that. He went on. "This is a place where supernatural influences abound - but you have been quite stubborn in your refusal to accept the entirety of your calling here. Now that you are more open, your mind is going to be subject to those influences, and you really do need to learn how to use them…and control them. If I couldn't control all the powers that I wield, I'm sure I wouldn't get any sleep, either." He smiled ruefully. "In our profession, dreams can be premonitions, warnings, messages - or just plain nightmares. But the fact that you are having the same dream consistently leads me to believe that it is more than just fancy. Would you agree?" She closed her eyes, then opened them again. For the first time in days, he noticed, they were completely clear.

"I feel much better knowing that I'm not simply going mad or anything - I really don't want to have that dream again, but if it's a message then I suppose I'll keep getting it until I understand, won't I?" He nodded regretfully. "Alright, here's the deal. I need sleep - badly. So, after I have the dream, can you cast a ward or something so I can get some rest?" 

"I don't know about a ward, but I do know of a sleep-inducing herb that is remarkably effective."

"That'll do. Once I've had the dream, I'll take this herb (whatever it is) and go back to sleep. Finally… And in the meantime, I'll try to be a bit more sociable than I have been. I know I've been something of a pain in the neck - no need to say it. And don't deny it, either, I'll just get annoyed. I'm perfectly aware I've been a real bitch. Especially to Inuyasha." She bit her lip in agitation. "He may have lost it a little, but he really doesn't deserve the cold-shoulder treatment. I wonder if he'll let me apologise?" she sighed despondently.

'Oh, he'll let you, no worries there,' Miroku thought. 'Are you the only one who can't see that he's been worried sick about you?'

"But," she continued firmly, "I'm still not telling him about my decision to stay. It's stupid I know, but if my feelings turn out to be right, and he does take it as nothing more than a cheap victory, I won't be able to stand it." She looked at him earnestly, her eyes pleading with him to understand, to back her up. "You won't tell him?"

"No," he promised. 'Doesn't necessarily mean I agree, but you're set on it…'

"Thank you," she breathed. Timidly, she rested her hand on his arm and smiled. "Let's go back to camp. They'll be wondering where we are - and what _you're _doing." She grinned. He grimaced in mock indignation.

"I have been nothing but proper, Kagome-sama. After all, I'm a houshi!" She laughed, and the sound was music to his ears. It had been so long since she had laughed properly. "C'mon, let's move. I have to speak to Inuyasha."

* * *

As they returned to the fireside, Sango looked up to Kagome. The girl gave her friend a reassuring smile, then looked around for Inuyasha.

He wasn't there.

Sango noticed her looking around, and sighed. "He went off to check the forest for nearby youkai," she said. "Said something didn't feel right about this place."

"Fair enough," Kagome said agreeably. Sango met Miroku's eye, thanking him for helping their friend. He nodded in acknowledgment. They were just about to settle for the night when Kagome straightened her back, reaching out with her senses. Anxiously the other two watched her as she stretched her abilities to their limit. She was so tired… Her voice shattered the quiet, "A shard! Approaching from the north - really close - " Where was Inuyasha? Any question of how far away the marauding youkai was became irrelevant when the monster burst in on the clearing, bearing down on the young miko with frightening intensity. She screamed the first name that came to mind.

"INUYASHA!!"

* * *

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* Ahem * Did I mention I like cliffhangers? Gets readers to come back later! Next Chapter: Inadequate. All reviews welcomed with open arms…come on, push the button! Update will be soon, I promise!


	3. 3 Inadequate!

Hey guys! What, no reviews since Ch. 1??? Come on, I know you're all out there somewhere….. To those who did review, love you lots! Can't wait to see your comments on this one. And if you're reading without reviewing – why?!! Look, this is my second fanfic EVER, a little support would be great, ya know!

Not this again….Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Choice and Consequence

Chapter 3: Inadequate?!

Inuyasha jumped swiftly from tree to tree, keeping a sharp eye out for any youkai bent on making trouble. At least, that was what he had meant to do when he left Sango waiting by the fire a short while ago. However, it was incredibly frustrating to him that he simply could not concentrate on what he was supposed to be doing. His mind kept stubbornly returning to Kagome's weird behaviour at the camp that evening. He had thought she would be pleased at his suggestion that she take a break from shard hunting. After all, it wasn't often that he willingly let her go back to her time, so surely that should have gotten a positive reaction! A smile, a laugh – something. But she had just shrugged his gesture away.

'Without so much as a 'thank you'…' he thought.

It was blatantly obvious to him that some part of that rather one-sided conversation had caused her to run off – but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it was. And for once he'd kept it simple; he hadn't mentioned the nightmares he knew she had (she probably thought she hid them pretty well – but he would have to be deaf not to hear her moaning during the night). He hadn't alluded to the amounts of sleep she wasn't getting, or the incessant muttering during the day, or her attitude towards him…

Truth be told, he was rather proud of himself.

His self-congratulatory musings were abruptly cut short when he remembered what Miroku had said after the girl had left in such a hurry. Unfortunately he had had to agree with him; that given her already unbalanced state of mind, Kagome would not want to confide in him. True, she had progressed from her initial cool ignorance of him to actually acknowledging his presence, but that was still a far cry from the way things had been between them once.

And now that _hentai_ was out in the forest with her.

"That bouzu had better keep his hands to himself!" he growled…and brought his head up quickly. Something didn't smell right – it smelled like youkai! Then he started cursing, viciously berating himself for his carelessness. "It's back in the direction of the campsite!" he thought furiously. "How in the seven hells did I miss it?" All thoughts of his serious blunder screeched to an undignified halt when he heard Kagome's shout. And he couldn't quite believe who she was shouting for….

"INUYASHA!!"

The utter fear in her voice chilled him to the bone. Without stopping to think, he tore through the forest at a lightning-fast pace, praying to anyone who might be listening that he would get there in time.

* * *

Despite the seriousness of their current situation, Sango and Miroku raised their eyebrows at Kagome quizzically. Sheepishly, she ran back towards them. 

" 'Inuyasha'?" Sango asked, somewhat amused. "We _are_ right here, you know."

"Uh…force of habit?"

"Whatever." Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Sango flung Hiraikotsu at the attacking youkai with all her might. Miroku mumbled something in Kagome's ear (all she could pick up was the word 'prepare') and sped across the open ground, and then disappeared from view. Kagome shook her head – that was the worst thing about trying to talk at times like these; the racket was horrendous. Before she could piece together what he was planning, however, Sango made it back to her side to ask in annoyance:

"Hang on – where'd that houshi get to?"

Kagome glanced wildly around in search of their friend. Finally she spotted him hunkered down behind some bushes. A soft blue light was visible. Inspiration struck. "I think he's preparing a ward to get rid of this thing! It'll be hard without Inuyasha and Tetsusaiga here." Kagome would have liked to dwell on the hanyou's badly-timed absence, but she didn't get the chance. "Okay – so where's that shard you mentioned?" Sango suddenly jumped to the side, avoiding a near miss from their opponent. Kagome concentrated for a moment, then gasped, her heart sinking. "I – I can't sense it!"

"WHAT?! But you said there was one close by!"

"There was – there IS! It's still here, but – that's not it! It must simply be after our shards…" Kagome's voice faded away as she fingered the vial that hung around her neck, trying to figure out what to do next. 'And it doesn't look like this will be easy…' she thought uneasily.

This youkai truly was an awesome sight. It reminded her of the creatures called scorpions. It was huge – four metres tall and twice as long again. The body of the monster was covered with a shiny, smooth exoskeleton which seemed to easily deflect Hiraikotsu's impact. Its jointed legs went skittering madly over the ground as it moved around, forcing Sango to keep moving as well. Two evil-looking pincers adorned the front end of the body, and its tail (if it could really be called a tail) was tipped by a sharply-pointed stinger. Kagome swallowed nervously – she _really_ didn't like the look of that stinger. Suddenly her brain caught up with what was happening. She smacked herself on the forehead in irritation. 'Idiot! Get your bow and arrows, you're wasting time!' Trying to gauge the distance, she made a mad dash for her weapons, praying she could reach them before the scorpion youkai could stop her. As soon as she broke out of her frozen stupor, however, the youkai focused on her – and the shards of the jewel which she carried.

The youkai started to hiss.

The sound was deafening, rising in malignant intensity the longer it went on. It was ludicrous considering the danger they were all in, but it put Kagome very much in mind of a boiling kettle.

A very _angry_ kettle.

The faint smile that the thought had brought to her lips was quickly banished as a sudden motion behind her made her spin around. It was coming straight for her. Ignoring Sango's attempts to weaken it (and where was that houshi, anyway?!) it crashed right through the exterminator's defenses, having its sights firmly set on the hapless Kagome. With a startled cry she turned once again to frantically look for her bow. She was rather startled when it came flying out at her from the direction she was facing. Shocked, she looked for the cause – and spotted Shippo hiding inside her bag, doing his best not to be seen. 'Huh, he threw it at me…guess I wouldn't have found it in the dark otherwise.' She nodded at him to stay where he was. His answer was simply to work himself tighter inside the confines of the worn pack. Sighing in relief, she turned to face her enemy.

What she _wasn't_ expecting was for the creature to be glowing blue. 'What the…?"

Ah, of course. An ofuda could be seen on the scorpion's back, the holy powers emanating with a ferocity that amazed her. The youkai seemed to be having trouble making its limbs work, but still it forced itself towards her with a dogged determination to get what it was after. Bracing herself, she pulled an arrow out of her quiver and took careful aim at the maliciously hissing thing. She heard a rustle in the trees behind her, but didn't allow it to break her concentration. 'Oh, gods I'm tired…' She trembled with exhaustion.

This was the sight that greeted Inuyasha as he apporoached the scene of the battle.

Events followed in quick succession.

Inuyasha dived desperately towards Kagome.

Kagome fired the arrow she was aiming at the youkai.

The youkai fell under the force of the impact and stumbled forwards.

The tottering youkai, with one final hiss, crashed into Kagome and knocked her to the ground. She gave a pained cry, then fell silent.

Inuyasha reached her side bare seconds later.

He stared in disbelief at what he saw. Kagome lay absolutely still, her eyes closed, with the body of the scorpion youkai crushing her into the dirt. Grimacing with disgust, he wrenched the carcass off of the girl, throwing it easily to the other side of the clearing in his haste. Miroku and Sango rushed over towards the pair, worry etched onto their faces. To their confusion they were forced to back off by a snarling Inuyasha. He focused entirely on the motionless figure lying before him. A low moan rose in his throat. 

"Kagome…"

Ignoring the startled looks from the others, he knelt beside her and carefully gathered her into his arms, gently cradling her head against his chest. His fingers began an anxious search for any serious injuries, probing softly. 

He smelt it before he saw it – the putrid stench of poison. 'That youkai must have stung her when they collided,' he thought. His nose told him that it was coming from her upper right arm, but any wounds were covered by the thick material of her shirt. He tried rolling the sleeve up to expose the arm, but the stubborn folds of cloth would only allow themselves to be pushed a little way before bunching hopelessly. Growling in annoyance, he pondered how to get the shirt out of the way without moving her too much. He was completely oblivious to what was going on around him. He didn't see Sango and Miroku battling to restrain the frantic kitsune cub, who was shrilly demanding to see 'his Kagome.' He missed noticing a second presence hanging around the campsite, one that was very familiar…he simply refused to be distracted.

Suddenly he grinned slightly. She would kill him when she woke up – or at least 'sit' him until he was unconscious – but it was the only way.

He shifted her gently, then ran one of his claws around the top of the offending sleeve. With a sharp tug the fabric parted, allowing him to slip the thing off and throw it absently to the side. His eyes widened in alarm at the extent of what he'd found. A small dark fragment of the youkai's stinger was embedded into the soft flesh of Kagome's arm. Around the puncture site her skin was raised slightly, and angry red lines traced their way out from the wound and along her arm. Guilt tore into him for a brief second – he hadn't been able to protect her – but he brutally squashed that thought. Time enough for that kind of thing later, when she was safe. Earlier he had been silently begging her to wake up, but now he was grateful that she was out cold – because this was _really_ going to hurt. 

Cautiously, wincing in apology, he dug one of his claws deep into her arm. He sliced across the top of the puncture wound, ripping the stinger fragment clear. An ugly mix of blood and sickly yellow venom gushed out of the incision that he had made. He quickly lowered his head to the bleeding gash and began to suck out the remaining poison, spitting every so often to clear his mouth of the noxious stuff. The awful smell was making his head reel, but he kept going, determined to do what he could for the person in his arms. _His Kagome…_

As he finished getting rid of the venom, he motioned for Sango to get some bandages for the wound he had left on her. Together they carefully wrapped the arm up, Inuyasha supporting Kagome in his arms and Sango fussing with the gauze. Once they had finished, he laid his charge down on the ground again and sat beside her to wait for her to wake up. All of a sudden, the second presence from before made itself forcibly apparent. A brown blur of muscle tackled Inuyasha from the side, slamming him into a very solid tree trunk. If Inuyasha had been fully alert, there wouldn't have been a problem – but he had been concentrating on Kagome…leaving himself wide open. He had great cause to regret that lapse in the next instant.

"What the _hell_ have you done to my woman, Inukkoro?!!" roared a very pissed off wolf youkai. Sango and Miroku shared a look – so that was the shard Kagome sensed.

"Me?!! I didn't do anything!!" yelled Inuyasha, shaking his head to get rid of the stars in his eyes. 'Crap! Couldn't have picked a worse time for this…'

Kouga planted his foot on the still stunned hanyou's neck, keeping him in place so that he could lean down and glare straight at him. "I don't believe you!"

"Gah! I told you, I didn't do –"

"I just _don't believe you! _How could you let this happen?" Kouga demanded, cutting him off. "Just how many times have you let her get hurt, you moron?!"

Inuyasha threw him away with a burst of strength, but then stood still. His mind was on Kouga's words – _how many times? _He replayed the memories…

__

The attack by Sesshoumaru in his father's grave…

The burst of flame from Hiten, engulfing her…

A line of bodies, dying from Mukotsu's poison…

Her, captured by Hakudoushi and Kagura…

And most recently, red blood welling up under his gripping claws…
    
    He answered the question in his own thoughts, 'Too many times. I let her get hurt too many times.'

Kouga, seeing that Inuyasha was not attacking him (for the moment), stalked angrily over to where Kagome lay. Before the others could stop him, he scooped her up in his grasp and swung around to face the hanyou. "This is unacceptable. You are an inadequate protector for my woman, Inukkoro. So, I'll take her off your hands." He smirked. "Bye!" And before any of them had time to blink, he was gone – along with their friend.

Sango and Miroku stood unmoving, slack-jawed with astonishment at what had happened. Sango recovered her wits first, moving to stand in front of Inuyasha – ready to hit him with Hiraikotsu, she was so mad!

"Why on earth didn't you stop him, Inuyasha?" she demanded. "Why did you let him just take her like that?!"

He hung his head. "He was right," he murmured. The other two frowned, not sure they had heard correctly. 

"She's always getting hurt, and I…I _am_ inadequate!" He slammed a fist fiercely into the ground, then bounded away into the forest.

A long, mournful howl rang out later that night, making the houshi and the exterminator jump with fright. Such an…inhuman, sad sound. Sango shivered. It was the call of something that had lost the one thing precious to them…it was the loss of joy, of hope, and love. Soul-chilling.

'We'll find you soon, Kagome,' she promised silently. 'Inuyasha may well lose his mind otherwise…if only you could see him now – you'd never get mad again…' Her thoughts trailed off as sleep took her.

But sleep was impossible for one of them. He felt like he'd never sleep again. "Kagome…"

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wow, that one was hard to write! Review please, I'd love to hear from you! Next Chapter: Unwanted Rescue. Might be a while, uni is unbelievably busy right now…but hopefully you won't wait more than a week. Despite lack of reviews, I will continue this fic, as it's lots of fun to write – so don't worry. 


	4. 4 Unwanted Rescue

Waahh! Okay people, if you are reading this fic, sorry about the long wait for an update. My life went from crazy to utterly impossible over the last few weeks, hence the delay. So, please forgive, and hopefully the next one won't be so long in coming. (This one was hard to write, anyway…) This should make up for the wait – it's a more than decent length – not bad for having been written during various lunch breaks! To all, um, 6 of my reviewers so far – thank you! On with the story….

You know the drill – " for speaking, ' for thinking and italics for dreams, flashbacks, etc.

Disclaimer: *sighs * if you didn't know before, you do now – I don't own Inuyasha etc.!!!

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Choice and Consequence

Chapter 4: Unwanted Rescue

__

There it was again. The far-off sounds of battle, smoke filling the air. And she was still unable to move – but WHY?

Something had changed. There was no choked-off scream from the hanyou, no earth-shattering explosion. When the smoke finally cleared, she saw…herself, lying still upon the ground. A few metres away, Inuyasha was walking away from her body, head hanging low. She watched in horror as her body faded slowly into nothing.

As though she had never even been there.

Flames roared through her vision, and with them came the presence that haunted her. 'Such power…'

Kikyou.

"Do you understand?"

Kagome shook herself awake, anxious to rid her mind of that hideous image. She was certain she would never be able to look at their campfire in quite the same way again. As she groggily made her way from deep sleep to wakefulness, she silently took note of her unfamiliar surroundings.

'Strange,' she mused, 'I don't remember any caves near our camp –' Her thoughts broke off in confusion. Her miko senses (which according to Miroku should have been getting steadily stronger) told her that she was literally surrounded by youkai. It wasn't a comforting notion, given the fact that she had obviously been fast asleep for some time before that dream woke her up. It was then that she picked up on a well-known aura in the vicinity. While she didn't exactly sigh in relief, she did relax her guard somewhat. This particular youkai would never harm her – not intentionally, that is. How long had she been asleep? And how did she get here in the first place? Kagome tried to get up and have a better look around, but was forced to fall back onto the furs she was lying on, biting back a cry of pain. The conversation outside the cave entrance stopped at the pitiful sound – someone moved quickly to Kagome's side to see what was the matter. There it was again, that pesky aura…

"Hello, Kouga-kun."

* * *

Miroku sighed for the umpteenth time that day. Tapping the base of his shakujou impatiently against the ground, he glared up into the tree he was standing next to. 

"We have to look for her, you know."

Anyone not familiar with this odd band of travelers could be forgiven for thinking that it was a rather strange sight; a houshi talking to a tree. But people acquainted with the inuhanyou would know better.

Though it didn't stop Sango from smiling at the scene it made.

The houshi continued explaining his point to the tree, but he got no immediate reply. Apparently the tree (or whoever was _in_ the tree) was not in a talkative mood. Eventually Miroku admitted defeat and moved over to where Sango and Shippo were sitting. They looked at him questioningly, but all he could do was regretfully shake his head.

"It's certainly a change from him tearing the place apart," Miroku commented dryly, "but I'm not sure I like the apathy either. He just sits there, not saying a word. It's like he's a statue."

"He must be worried sick about her," Sango said sadly, "but why won't he go looking for her? She'll need his help soon enough – we don't even know for certain if she's healed up after that fight…" Her low voice trailed off uncertainly at the mention of their recent battle. It wasn't the attack itself that haunted her; she had seen Inuyasha's face as he had realized that he was too late to save the girl he had sworn to protect. It was his terrified expression that refused to leave her mind's eye.

Shippo broke the uneasy silence with a high-pitched whisper. "You know, maybe he thinks she doesn't want him to come get her." The two adults looked at the little kitsune disbelievingly. Shippo fluffed his tail nervously, glancing once or twice at the tree Miroku had been talking to. 'I hope it's not in hearing range…'

"Where on earth would he get that crazy idea?" Sango demanded. She knew it was impossible for her best friend to stay away from Inuyasha for long; she always forgave him eventually.

Shippo huffed in exasperation. 'Humans…'

"It's like Kouga said – Inuyasha is Kagome's protector. When she gets hurt, the protector is, er, um…" - a quick look at the tree; still no movement – "it means that the protector has failed. Youkai have rules about that sort of thing."

Sango drew in her breath as she caught up to what Shippo was trying to get at. "So when Kouga challenged Inuyasha about not protecting Kagome-chan, by youkai standards it meant that he had no right to hold her back from a potentially better protector?" She shook her head in bewilderment. Miroku, who had been sitting in contemplative silence during the conversation, now added his thoughts to the mix. "As confusing as the idea seems to be, it does make a certain kind of sense. There could have been a few reasons, though, for Inuyasha allowing Kagome-sama to…leave." The other two sat forward, curious. "Protecting someone is a high privilege – and Inuyasha may have felt like he forfeited that right when he was unable to prevent Kagome-sama from being injured," said Miroku, in full 'righteous-houshi' mode. "Perhaps, also, he felt that Kagome-sama would be happier with Kouga than with him." Two mouths gaped open – their owners struck momentarily dumb. But that soon wore off…

"WHAT?! That's insane! Kouga is annoying, stupid –"

"Eeww! Kagome happy with Kouga?" Gagging sounds followed.

The houshi grinned at the ruckus his statement had caused. "Considering the events of these last few days, I would say it's quite plausible. I know," he added hastily, raising a hand in self-defense, "that this would naturally be quite impossible, but think of it from Inuyasha's viewpoint. The simple facts: Kagome _has_ been injured many times despite being under his protection. And he actually harmed her himself just the other day – unforgivable in his eyes"

"Not just in his…" Shippo muttered. The houshi ignored the interruption.

"In addition, ever since then Kagome has been moody, cross, quite snappish at times…all indications of being unhappy, either with where she was or who she was with. And she hasn't been talking to him. That's _really_ got to hurt. So, when Kouga arrived, Inuyasha may have figured that Kagome would prefer to get away – from him."

Sango nodded slowly. "When you say it like that, houshi-sama, I can see what you mean. It's stupid, but Kouga was never anything but nice to Kagome-chan, while Inuyasha knew perfectly well that he was always rude, boorish, impatient…" The list went on.

Over the way, a certain tree started rustling.

Oblivious to her second audience, Sango finished her list and went on. "She was always so sad because of that – she deserves someone nice!"

Unobserved, the tree rustled sharply once, a branch swaying wildly, and then was still. 

His hasty departure meant that Inuyasha missed Sango's next comment.

"But no matter what he does, she'll always come back. Because she loves him. I don't believe she could ever really be happy with anyone else." Sango grimaced.

"ESPECIALLY Kouga!"

* * *

Inuyasha ran, not caring where he went. He just had to get away from those words…

Sticks caught at his feet, hands and face, scratching him as he barged through the forest. He didn't feel them.

'Inadequate protector…'

'Have no right…'

'She hates me anyway, so…'

'Maybe she's happy?'

'She wouldn't want me…'

His thoughts continued to plague him mercilessly as he crashed on through the trees.

Unknown to him, he was being watched.

* * *

Kouga gazed down at the young girl by his side.

'Ha! In MY bed!' he congratulated himself, not for the first time in the last two days she had been there. He was willing to bet that the annoying hanyou had never had that particular honour. But as he though of Inuyasha, he remembered that dog's failure to protect his woman. He didn't have to look closely to see that her brow was beaded with sweat, or that her normally clear eyes were now glassy and dull. Damn that hanyou!

He gently rested a hand on Kagome's arm. He bowed his head in remorse, then raised his eyes to meet hers. "I'm sorry."

She blinked. 'Come again?'

"I should have taken you under MY protection long before this could happen. Can you forgive me?"

* * *

Kagome stared at him for a few seconds while her brain caught up with what the wolf-youkai had said. 

Understanding, when it finally came, had much the same effect as a ton of bricks slamming into her.

She sat bolt upright, this time ignoring the pain. "Where are the others?" And more specifically, "Where's Inuyasha?!" Her eyes darted wildly around the dark cave, seeking some sign that her friends had been there. Upon finding none, she sank back down onto her makeshift bed, impatiently awaiting an answer. Kouga, interpreting her return to repose as acceptance, growled slightly with satisfaction. Deep in self-congratulation, he didn't see her hands repeatedly clenching in irritation (or was it apprehension?) in the furs she was lying on. Ignoring the obvious warning signs, he shifted slightly so that, if possible, he was even closer to his new 'companion'. "You are MY concern now – don't make yourself worry about that Inukorro."

Her reaction was not what he expected. In his wolfish (and importantly, _male_) mind, he figured that his chosen mate would be grateful, even relieved, that her true protector had taken care of her.

He didn't expect…anger?

"What do you mean, YOUR concern?! I want to know WHERE INUYASHA IS!" Her voice rose in volume as she went on, bringing a curious audience of wolf-youkai from the adjoining caves. Heads poked cautiously around the cave entrance – but both of the cave's occupants ignored them.

"He's far away! He'll never find you here!"

"Why you –"

"He let you get hurt! That should never happen!"

"He doesn't _let_ me, you oaf, it's accidental – "

"He wasn't worthy to be your protector!"

"He did just fine for two years!"

"Ha!" He grabbed her uninjured arm, pointing angrily at the white scars that marred her skin. "What about these?"

"It's not like he lets it happen on purpose, you dolt! Some things _are_ beyond our control!"

He folded his arms stubbornly. "Shouldn't happen."

"Aargh!" she groaned, shaking her head. "You youkai just don't give up, do you?"

He grinned. "Nope."

She gave up their erstwhile argument, too tired to force the issue. "He'll come for me soon, and then you'll see how good a protector he is." To her amazement, Kouga chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"He won't come. I didn't just take you – _he _let _you_ go."

Kagome felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach. 'He…let me go?' Images flowed unbidden across her mind's eye.

Inuyasha walking away from her, not looking back…

Her body fading into nothing, leaving no sign that she'd ever been there in the first place…

Kikyou's presence…

She rubbed a shaky hand across her eyes, willing the pictures to disappear. "No, it was just a dream...it must have been! Just a dream –'

She stopped her rambling when Kouga suddenly shuffled closer, taking both of her hands in his. There was an annoyingly 'sincere' look in his eyes. 'Which means he's going to go all 'mushy' again. Ugh.'

True to form, Kouga's next words were suitably 'mushy'.

"Kagome," he began warmly, "I saw what you went through with those people. You're a shadow of what you used to be – I hate to see you looking so worn and sad. I promise, I will protect you so well that you'll never have to worry again!" He stopped, obviously waiting for some kind of reaction from her.

He got one.

"Kouga," Kagome gritted out through clenched teeth, "I am NOT your woman, and I'm NOT staying here. I have to go back – they need my help!"

'What about Kikyou?' her mind asked quietly.

'She's not a true human now – she may be able to see the shards, but there's still something missing.'

Kouga's face, meanwhile, had fallen. "But you'd be safer here!" Kagome didn't seem to hear him. Her thoughts were too loud.

'It's just a dream…not real.'

'It felt awful, though…'

'He has NOT turned away from me!'

'I have NOT been replaced. HE DID NOT LET ME GO!' But that felt a little too much like denial.

Finally she turned her eyes on Kouga once more. "You should have left me where I was. I have a job to do there." He shook his head impatiently, long hair waving wildly.

"If that's all you're worried about, _we_ can find the shards together! I'm just as good as Inukkoro –"

She had her doubts on that score.

"-so we could just finish that quest that you're on! Then you'll be free to stay with me, with our pack – it'd be a good life, Kagome." In his desire to convince her, his hands had relinquished their hold on hers and moved up to grasp her shoulders instead. Almost against her will, she noticed the gentleness of his touch. He had never been anything but gentle with her. For a moment she wondered what her life could have been with someone like this – if she hadn't first met Inuyasha…

Inuyasha. Amazing how much hurt a simple name could hold.

And she had promised. Not to him directly, but to herself – she would stay with him until the shards were found. For an instant her dream flashed in her mind, but she ruthlessly banished it. She had promised, and to stay here, now, was impossible.

"Kouga-kun…do you love me?"

His eyes brightened, a hopeful smile spreading across his features. Inwardly she regretted what was going to happen, but it was just like she had told her mother all those days ago. It wasn't about what _she_ wanted now – it was simply what she had to do.

"Kagome – you know I do!" Then, immeasurably tender, "You _know_ I do."

She bowed her head. 'It might have been so different.'

"Then promise me this. As soon as I am well enough to leave, you won't stop me." The shock – and pain – on his face was like a knife to her heart. But she was determined.

"Please. If you love me at all, don't stop me. I have to go back. I promised. I won't be able to live with myself if I break that promise." Silently, 'Although, actually going back will be hard enough.'

Kouga growled low in his throat in protest. His woman wanted to leave? A sense of obligation, of duty unfulfilled…he was a youkai, he understood these things. It didn't mean he had to like them, though.

"I won't stop you."

Sighing in relief, she settled back down onto the furs. Finally she allowed her concentration to slip, the pain from her injuries sweeping her away in a black flood.

__

Inuyasha walked away from her, head bowed. He didn't look back.

Kouga had to dig his claws into his palms to stop himself from going to comfort the dreaming girl. Her soft cries were slowly driving him mad. But he didn't go to her.

She had placed herself far beyond his reach.

* * *

Inuyasha had finally stopped running. Ironically, he had stopped because all of that running had gotten him absolutely nowhere. He had ended up right where he had started – without Kagome.

'What an idiot you are – YOU LET HER GO! You could've stopped him…yeah, too easy. But no. You had to get all noble.' He sighed, leaning back into the trunk of the tree he was in. From his high vantage point he could see over the forest for miles. Too bad he couldn't see past his current problem…

"GAH!!" He whacked his head sharply against the wood in anger. If only that voice in his head would just go _away_. No such luck, though.

'She is likely better off now – you know that. Right?'

'RIGHT?'

Hmm. Sounded like a losing battle. But as anyone knows, you can tell yourself something until you're blue in the face – but that doesn't make you believe what you're saying.

'Admit it, dog-boy – you're sunk without her…better off or not.'

His amber eyes went round as he realized something. 'It's been a week! Ugh – I've been like THIS for a week? Feh.' High time he went to find her – although who knew if she'd be happy to see him?

* * *

Lost in thought, the hanyou missed seeing a blurred shape enter the area.

"Let me down here, Kouga-kun. I don't think you'd better let Inuyasha see you right now. I can walk the rest of the way." Kagome patted Kouga's arm in thanks and moved away silently. He watched her go, his face unreadable. Then he turned and left at a run.

'Inuyasha – would you still want me back after all this?' Kagome wondered uneasily. Abruptly she stopped in her tracks, senses flaring wildly. And what she felt – "Oh, no…"

* * *

"Inuyasha?" That voice…he just about fell out of the tree.

"Kagome? You're here?" 'Oh, please tell me you're alright…' He jumped to the ground and looked for the owner of the voice. He blinked in surprise.

"No…not Kagome. Disappointed, Inuyasha?"

* * *

Hum – 3 guesses who sounds like Kagome? Not hard, but no epic is complete without this, er, 'person'. And just in case you're wondering – this fic is Inu/Kag! Not Inu/Kik, not Kou/Kag – no, no, no! The plot is twisting, so keep reading! Chappie 5 is all planned out, just has to be written. Reviews will definitely help…J .

Next Chapter; Invisible Audience


	5. 5 Invisible Audience

Some replies to reviews: (can't reply to all of 'em – sorry. Thanks to everybody!!!)

CherryWasser – yeah, it was sad – but don't relax just yet. Inuyasha has a long way to go….

Koinu-no-ai – Thank you! Glad it's not OOC – considering my absolutely shocking lack of anime stuff. 'A masterpiece'? Oh, gosh! * blushes *

Holynarf – a review for both stories? What an honour! : o

Morlana – yes, angst rules! Hint – just keep reading * grins evilly *

Apple sauce – cliffies are my specialty – ensures future readers – don't say I didn't warn you!

Jessica – What an awesome review! * Hugs * Thanks sooo much, it really means a lot! Hope you like this one just as much…

Inuchik – um, yah, poor Kouga – I really put him through hell, didn't I? I did feel a bit lousy after that….

Aiwendil – whoa, the pen name thing is weird! Had no idea. Glad you like!

About 'Where Do I Belong?' – some people want me to continue that one. Hadn't figured on that, it was meant to be a one-shot – but maybe I'll do something with it in a few weeks. Watch this space! Na, really long A/N out of the way – on with the show!

* * *

Disclaimer: I said it before, I'll say it again – I DON'T OWN IT!!!!

****

Choice and Consequence

Chapter 5: Invisible Audience

Inuyasha stood as if in a daze, hands hanging limply at his sides. Only one thing was clear in his mind…this could not be good. The woman in front of him clearly reveled in his rapt attention.

"Ah…not disappointed, then? How very fortunate."

She glided towards him, stopping mere inches from the stricken hanyou. He had no idea what to do, where to look…completely at a loss. He was a fierce fighter, champion of unnumbered battles, fearless in the face of death; but this – woman – had the power to reduce him to nothing. Somewhere inside his mind a voice was screaming at him that this was ridiculous, laughable even. An undead miko, not even flesh and blood, and she had him weak at the knees just by standing there.

'And don't you DARE forget about Kagome this time!' he snarled to himself. "Kikyou –" he began. She cut him off. "Tell me, Inuyasha – has Kagome been sleeping well?" A look that was suspiciously like a smirk crossed her face. "Or, judging by your eagerness to see her, has she been noticeably absent lately?" He clenched his fists in anger – 'I will NOT hurt her!' – and forced himself to reply. "She's not here." Abruptly he lost his battle with his temper, remembering her first comment. "What the hell do you mean, 'has she been sleeping well?' You better not have anything to do with those dreams she's had!"

The miko recoiled slightly at his outburst. "Why would I bother with that copy? I have better things to do with my time." She smiled thinly at his growl.

"She is so damn well worth your time….hang on! What am I saying now? Gahh…." He smacked himself on the head in frustration. Of all the stupid things to say. Way to go, dog-boy. He vainly tried to collect his thoughts into some semblance of order.

"If you didn't have anything to do with it, then why did you ask about her?" he bit out savagely.

"Hmm…good question. One you don't really need an answer for. Besides, you already answered mine."

He groaned inwardly at the truth of her words. That's right, he'd given the game away when he mentioned the dreams in the first place! Dumb, dumb, dumb…his mental tirade was broken off by the icy cold touch of her hand on his. He couldn't repress the shudder it evoked.

"Why have you not come to find me, Inuyasha? Or do I mean that little to you after all?"

Her words cut him to the core. Try as he might, he could not ignore the promise he had made – in what seemed a different life now. To protect her, to avenge her death at the hands of Naraku. And she had just called him on it. 

He had no idea what to say.

* * *

Kikyou's presence flooded Kagome's senses, prompting her to try and break into a run. The jabbing pain that sizzled through her joints at the sudden movement convinced her that walking was probably the safer option. Hobbling slightly, she made her way towards the tainted presence. After a minute of walking, voices floated through the air, making her ears prick in apprehension. 

"If you don't have anything to do with it, then why did you ask about her?" A very pissed off hanyou. Kagome almost grinned at the thought that he was standing up to that sham girl – at last!

"Hmm, good question. One you don't really need an answer for." Huh? "Besides, you've already answered mine." Hey, wait a minute – what question? 'Man, I hate being late for everything!' A faint glow was visible now between the trees. She nearly shrieked when one of Kikyou's shinidamachuu rushed past her, a captive soul within its grasp. 'Ugh, that never fails to freak me out! She must be weak, to need more souls right now…' She gradually shuffled over to a cluster of bushes that stood beside the glowing clearing. The sight that met her eyes made her freeze in disbelief.

Kikyou, pressing close to him, her hand covering his…and Inuyasha, accepting her touch.

"Why have you not come to find me, Inuyasha? Or do I mean that little to you after all?"

She could have sworn that her heart had stopped beating. How many times had she asked herself that very question in the last week? All at once she could understand where Kikyou was coming from. It was the loneliest feeling in the world, having the one you loved turn their back on you…she felt some small pity for the undead miko in that instant. Yes, it hurt like nothing else.

'He sure is taking his time giving her an answer.' Well, he had never been able to choose between them, why should that change now? Her thoughts from the past few days insistently pushed their way into the open. 

'All that time I've been away, he just left me where I was…with Kouga, no less! Quite a change from wanting to kill the poor fellow whenever he came close.'

'He always said that he needed me to stay and find the shards – so why didn't he come and get me? I don't understand…' Her next thought chilled her blood.

'He couldn't have been expecting this, could he? Deep down, did he want Kikyou to come…and take my place with him? After all, she can see the shards just as well as I can – and she can protect herself.'

'I'm a liability, after all…I get in the way. In the way of his battles, in the way of his freedom…in the way of his love.'

Inuyasha bent low and spoke softly into Kikyou's ear. Kagome could have screamed – it was too quiet for her to hear! 'Oh, gods, what did he say?'

* * *

Inuyasha swallowed nervously. After years of dodging this question, he had nowhere left to run. But at least now he had an answer – of a sort.

"I have not broken my promise to you."

"How so?" She tilted her head inquiringly. "You are still alive, with that little slip of a girl who is virtually powerless (when you could have me), and Naraku is still undefeated." Kikyou frowned. "I would say your promises are strangely unfulfilled, don't you agree?"

"I promised to avenge you. With every shard we find, Kagome and I, we come closer to defeating Naraku. You don't have to do the fighting now – there are people to do it for you!"

"I am completely capable of doing my own fighting. That is another thing we have to clear up – why have you chosen the weaker of the two of us? It would make more sense to travel with the stronger partner, wouldn't it?" A humourless smile tinged her lips. Inuyasha placed his hands upon her shoulders – he finally knew what to say.

"I will avenge you, but I MUST protect her. Because I love her." He stared unblinking into her eyes. "That's why you have to leave now, Kikyou. We each have our own fights ahead – leave us in peace."

He closed his eyes, missing the cunning look in Kikyou's expression. 'Just a moment more…'

She reached up to kiss him, holding his head so that he couldn't back away.

* * *

Kagome held still, not daring to move a muscle for fear of being discovered. However, on the inside she was jumping up and down in exasperation.

'Dammit, I can't hear a thing they're saying! I think I preferred it when he was shouting…'

She was just considering trying to sneak a little closer when a slow movement caught her eye. Inuyasha was holding Kikyou's shoulders, a pleading look on his face. Suddenly she was glad she couldn't hear what he was saying.

__

Her body faded into nothing…Kikyou's presence overtook her own.

'No,' she breathed, denying what was before her eyes. 'Not the dream again – is this what it meant?' Her eyes were drawn irresistably to the hanyou's face. His eyes had slid closed, and now…

Her heart shattered into a million pieces, the shards sharp enough to slice her very soul to ribbons. He was kissing her! It was over. He had chosen.

"So be it, Inuyasha," she whispered brokenly. "It is your choice after all."

She raised her head once more to take in the tableau in the clearing. There was no mistake, they were still locked in an ardent embrace. Strangely enough, her eyes were free of tears. It was as though she simply had none left. She stood in her hiding place, solemnly observing the loving couple. Nodding once, she brought her hand to her neck, fingering the chain that held the vial of Shikon shards. And pulled.

Fine metal links snapped, blood flowing from the gouges in her neck. She cast the vial down on the ground and walked away, not once looking back. 'So be it.'

* * *

Sango paused in her bathing, certain she had heard something rustling back at the campsite. When the sound didn't repeat itself, she paid it no further attention. The houshi was, after all, supposed to be on guard while she was out here…but that bush was moving. Oh, no, not again…

"HENTAI!!!" You're supposed to be watching the camp, you delinquent houshi!" 

------------------

Kagome rummaged through her pack, hurriedly pulling out a pen and a piece of paper. 'Too bad Kirara is back at the village this time around – that would sure make this easier,' she mused. Dry sobs shook her as she wrote, her hands shaking when she attempted to fold the paper neatly. Giving up, she carefully tucked it into the bottom of her pack, surrounding it with various bits and pieces that she knew her friends would look for – ramen for Inuyasha (ha! – no matter what he thought of her, he would eventually want his precious ramen), sweets for Shippo, soap and shampoo for Sango, a girl's magazine for Miroku (he could cry 'houshi' all he wanted, they all knew better). Thus ensuring that the paper would eventually be found, she stood up slowly, looking around one last time. 

She melted silently into the forest, as though she had never been. 'Let them think I'm still with Kouga – no point in them worrying.'

But the further she walked, the heavier her feet grew. And her feet were nothing compared to her heart. She stared blindly into the darkness, not noticing where she was going. Her lack of Shikon shards meant a reduced risk of attack, she knew. She would probably make it all the way to the well with no more than a few stops along the road. Too bad the weight in her chest made her want to crawl rather than walk. She had never felt such a crushing burden in her life. The knowledge of ultimate betrayal. 

* * *

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open in surprise. What twisted kind of game was this miko playing, anyway? He had just told her that he loved Kagome…ah, that was it. A goodbye. He felt her hands come up to touch the sides of his face, holding him still. A warning signal sounded in his head – he pulled away slightly, only to find that she was not letting him move. 'What the -?'

The woman smiled against his lips at one point, confusing him utterly. What was there to smile about, for goodness' sake? Then he smelt it. A smell he had never wanted to come across again.

Kagome's blood.

'She's back?' was his immediate thought. The incredible lift in his spirits was quelled by the question of what had happened to her to make her bleed again. 'Oh, crap – don't tell me I've failed again…' He pushed Kikyou back strongly, making her stagger slightly. He absently noticed that she didn't seem put out by his lack of courtesy towards her – rather, she was looking mighty pleased about something. He strode quickly out to the centre of the clearing, sniffing for any hints as to Kagome's whereabouts. He picked up the traces of her scent almost straight away, following his nose to the source of the sickly, coppery smell. He stared down at the ground in unwilling astonishment.

A slender necklace, the chain snapped, the ends slick with blood…

Missing pieces of information suddenly clicked into place. He twisted around, seeing the view of the clearing from their position. As he'd feared, unobstructed. Anyone standing here would have seen anything and everything – including a certain kiss. 'This can't be happening to me!' In a fit of rage, he crushed the fragile glass container, freeing the contents.

The Shikon shards glittered in his palm – in his tortured mind they were accusing him. A symbol of Kagome's devotion…and the depth of her sorrow at what she had seen. He remembered, 'That smile…'

He rounded on the undead woman. "You knew!" he roared at her. She backed away, her shinidamachuu swirling around her with a ghostly sheen. "Of course." Kikyou raised a hand in farewell, her final words leaving him as much in the dark as ever.

"Everything happens for a purpose, in this battle. Dreams are paths to reality – even nightmares."

* * *

Kagome walked quickly along the trail she hoped would take her back to Kaede's village – and the well. She hoped desperately that Inuyasha would not follow her. Her scent was a dead giveaway, she knew – but there was the chance that Inuyasha wouldn't even think of coming to find her, now that Kikyou was with him. Of course, when the others found what was in her pack, all hell would probably break loose, with the hanyou on the receiving end. She suppressed a grin at the wayward thought of Inuyasha being chased around by her friends…again.

She was so caught up in her private musings, she didn't even see her attacker. Kagome fell senseless to the ground.

"How very careless – all alone in the woods. Inuyasha, you should really know better…"

* * *

Oh, dear. The $64 question – who is the attacker? Next time, I promise! And remember, it's Inu/Kag!!

Next Chapter: Capture and Ransom


	6. 6 Capture and Ransom

A/N: * dances around her laptop with joy * I have reviews!! Lots of reviews!! Ahh, sooo happy. So, some replies to all you lovely people from last chappie…

Pride of place goes to my so-far top reviewer, Paws – a review for each chapter! Can't wait to see what you make of this one ; )

Darkkitty: wow, what a compliment! * authoress' mouth hangs open in shock * Ta muchly!

Anoac: yup, I thought the conversation thing was a good idea…it worked, too!

Starkookie: Aah! No, dear reviewer, don't die! * Types madly * I'm updating, I'm updating!

Crimson-snow: well, the suspense is everything! How else do I get you guys back to read more?!

Now then, as for the mysterious attacker – is it Sesshy or Naraku? Or someone else?? All will be revealed today, I promise. And the voting for 'who' was pretty even, in case you were wondering. Ok, 'nuff talking, more writing!

* * *

Disclaimer: Not again!!!Noooo! Oh, all right…I don't own Inuyasha (you mean people).

And once more, "for talking, 'for thinking, italics for dreams, flashbacks, etc. Gottit? Good.

****

Choice and Consequence

Chapter 6: Capture and Ransom

__

"Do you understand?"

A wall of fire blocked her vision – but she didn't feel any heat from the flames.

She raised her hand, her fingertips trailing incandescent streams of fire. Power flowed through her, power like she had never felt. She felt…invincible. As strong as many mikos at once…

A blast of furious energy roared out from her towards her opponent. An anguished cry broke into her thoughts.

"KAGOME!!!"

"Mmpfh," the girl groaned. She struggled to get up, only to find that that was a somewhat pointless exercise, as her hands were tied. Her head spun, and she fell back to the hard ground in defeat. What on earth had happened to her this time?

And why the hell was she dreaming again?? It was different, too – a little like a continuation of her last one… Those flat-sounding words – _"Do you understand?"_

The point was, she didn't understand a thing. It was all quite beyond her – was it a premonition, a message, a clue, what? And most importantly:

Why was it Kikyou talking to her in that tone of voice? And where was Inuyasha this time? What did it mean? 

Dizziness engulfed her mind, sending her reeling back into oblivion.

A little distance away, eyes regarded the sleeping miko warily. The capture had been easy enough, and the girl was clearly injured – but the future was still unclear. Best not to take any chances. Hands reached towards her…a glowing light surrounded the girl, binding her fast to unconsciousness.

* * *

Inuyasha was mad. Well, no, that's not quite right. He was livid…

"How COULD she?"

He raced back towards the camp, desperately hunting for any sense of the fleeing human. She must have come this way; she wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye to the others…would she? His ears flattened at the thought – no, not possible. He HAD to catch her before she could get away.

But then he wasn't sure of exactly how much of a lead she had.

"Damn you, Kikyou! Go to hell and stay there!"

He burst in on the clearing, eyes darting wildly for any sign of Kagome. He was rather put out to find that absolutely _nobody_ was there. "Bouzu!! Sango!! Get out here now!" he yelled. A familiar sound reached his sensitive ears, making him growl in annoyance. 'Stop taking so long…'

"I swear, houshi-sama, get one step closer and you'll see stars for a week!"

"But Sango, I was just making sure – " 

"My towel was fine right where it was! Honestly, you pick the worst times…"

"You mean there would be a better one?" Hopeful.

Silence.

CRACK! "Hentai!"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND GET OUT HERE?!" roared a very fed-up hanyou. A startled "Wha-?" signaled to him that his demand had finally been heard. From the direction of the springs came a sound of crackling leaves and twigs snapping underfoot. Finally, his companions emerged. A very angry, red-faced demon exterminator, a houshi who looked slightly dizzy, and a kitsune who looked…faintly disgusted. "Geez, Miroku, would you grow up? Or haven't you been hit enough yet?"

No Kagome. Dammit.

"Have you seen Kagome?" Nothing like coming right to the point. In his experience, things got done a lot quicker that way. Humans 'ummed' and 'ahhed' too much for his liking.

"Umm…"

"Aahh…"

"Nope." Well, he had his answer at least. Shippo ducked behind Sango at the look on Inuyasha's face. He was intent on something that had caught his attention. 'That scent – '

"Kagome!" he exclaimed in disbelief. He could smell it, she had been here! The key question was…why couldn't he smell her now? There was no way she could have gotten far enough away in that short while that he couldn't find her easily…well, best to start at the source. He followed his nose to where the scent was strongest. Her pack?

As the other three looked on in amazement, the hanyou began sniffing around the big yellow bag. "Er, Inuyasha, why are you doing this? Kagome would still be with Kouga…"

Sango broke off when Inuyasha snarled at the wolf-youkai's name, waving her hands hastily. "No, no, forget I said that!" She and the houshi traded confused glances. As if this week hadn't been enough already – 

Inuyasha darted forwards, making his friends jump. In his clawed hands he held a pen. His eyes were (to them) unaccountably haunted. "Today."

Huh?

"She used this today! Tonight, to be exact." He rounded on them in a rage. "She was here! And where were you? Up to your usual tricks! Kagome was here, writing…well, something with this pen, and now she's gone, and you're out there feeling up Sango! I could kill you!" This was directed to a now ashen-faced houshi who seemed to think his life was indeed on the line here. 

All right, so he was supposed to be on guard duty. But he had guarded Sango (er, yes, and Shippo!) while they were vulnerable...and there was nothing of value in the camp, just food and stuff. He doubted he could explain this to a homicidal hanyou with any conviction, though. Only one thing to do.

He stepped towards the once-more preoccupied hanyou and cracked him on the head with his shakujou.

Now, Inuyasha would never admit it, but that REALLY did sting. The world spun a little…

"So, would you mind explaining _why_ Kagome-sama would come back here and leave again straight away?" The reaction to his words was, to say the least, uncharacteristic. However, considering the circumstances, not entirely unexpected. Miroku had picked up the all-too-familiar aura some ways off from the campsite. 

"What happened with Kikyou, Inuyasha?" This would ordinarily gain him a snarl, some growling, a swipe with his claws, maybe, but not – shame? He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I think you'd better tell –"

"I only talked to her because I thought she was Kagome, okay? It's not my fault!" A bad sign – he wouldn't look them straight in the eye. Uh-oh.

Sango, sensing the need for a little 'encouragement', moved towards Hiraikotsu. "Inuyasha…" she said warningly. He seemed to cringe away from her, not wanting to talk about the events of that night, but knowing he had to. His mind, meanwhile, was protesting the delay. 'She could be anywhere by now!'

"I…Kikyou came out of nowhere…asked me why I hadn't come to her…why Kagome was still in this time…with me…and I told her I loved her." Oops. Not exactly what he was trying to say. 

CRACK!

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

"Dog-breath, how could you do that? She's dead, you idiot!" The kitsune transformed and started chewing on the hanyou's head angrily. 

Ouch. Three-sided attack. Shaking his head to clear his now foggy vision, Inuyasha scrambled away.

"No, no, NO! Not her! Kagome! I told her I loved Kagome!!" This came out more like a scream than a shout. The silence was deafening.

"About time, too." Sango crossed her arms and looked at him. "So, what does Kagome's being here have to do with that? I mean, it's great news, long overdue, but…she's not here. So what's going on?"

He winced. This part he REALLY didn't want to talk about. He reconsidered when the shakujou and Hiraikotsu twitched in their owners' hands. 'Okay, okay, I get the message.'

"Kikyou kissed me. And no," he warned them, "I did _not_ kiss her, right? The thing is…erm –" he stopped. Oh, this was going to hurt…

"Kagome was there. She would have seen it. And – this was on the ground nearby." He flung the remains of the necklace at them, then opened his palm to show the shards glistening in the firelight. Yup, here goes…

CRACK!

"HIRAIKOTSU!"

"No wonder she left, you moron!"

"Hey, I already said I didn't mean it! But she saw it, left these for me to find, and…now she's gone. We've wasted so much time, now I don't know how soon I'll be able to find her!" He glared meaningfully at the other three, accusing them with his gaze. Sango opened her mouth to speak again, then jumped backwards. A rushing figure had just missed knocking her into the ground from the air.

The figure gave itself a shake, then smiled mirthlessly at the shard hunters. "Well, this is interesting."

Inuyasha ripped Tetsusaiga out of its sheath before anyone had time to blink.

"Kagura! What the hell are you doing here? Think quick, before I lose my patience!" She tutted at him, shaking a finger in mock admonition. "Oh, I think it's too late for that. The losing patience thing, I mean." She smirked. "And I'm too valuable to kill…you are looking for something, aren't you?" She broke off when a hand circled her throat, threatening to choke her. Gasping a little, she chuckled.

"Oh, now, you wouldn't want to do that, would you? After all – "she pried at the hand – "my prize is rather dear to you, is she not?" The hand released her abruptly, letting her fall. Any relief she felt vanished at the sight of Tetsusaiga being held directly in front of her eyes. 

"What have you done with Kagome?" She swallowed, unwilling to show fear to this hanyou.

"Take a wild guess," she sneered. "Naraku has always wanted to talk to your little miko." That was enough…job done. She took advantage of their momentary shock and made her escape. "See you soon, hanyou!"

Belatedly Inuyasha swung at the retreating figure. "Kaze no Kizu!" Too far away – no effect.

They looked at each other. 'Now what?' was clearly written on their faces. Inuyasha's expression hardened. "If Naraku has her, we have to get her. Simple." He gulped suddenly, hiding his face. Something stung behind his eyes – something he refused to acknowledge. No. No grieving. Not yet.

"And if he's hurt her, he'll wish he'd never even heard my name. I swear it." He took off into the forest, following in the direction that Kagura had taken. Miroku and Sango sighed – oh, they _really_ needed Kirara now. A hanyou in a temper was way too fast for them. Before they started off after him, they looked around the camp for anything they would need to take. Oh. Kagome's bag. 

Shrugging, Miroku lifted the pack and began walking. Briskly. 

* * *

As Kagura neared the hiding place, a cold pair of eyes looked up to meet her. "Well, is she awake yet?"

"No. I have placed her in a trance. She will wake up only when she is commanded to."

"Ah. That makes things easier. Doesn't this bother you, miko?" Kagura tilted her head curiously.

"Not in the least. There should not be two of me roaming this earth – and she is the weaker of us. Naraku's purpose for her fits my wishes perfectly."

Kikyou turned back to her charge, resting a hand on their captive's brow, and smiled to herself in triumph. "Everything happens for a purpose, in this battle."

Kagura shook her head. "Well, let's get her back. He's definitely waiting by now."

* * *

__

Inuyasha turned, walking away without a backward glance. She faded…

Kikyou's voice…"Do you understand?" 'No…'

Flames – such power! Incredible, sizzling energy – she'd never felt this…

A ripping sensation – a moment of pain. 

"KAGOME!"

A blow to her side knocked her out of the dream. She rolled her head to the side to try and get a glimpse of her assailant. Her insides froze.

"Naraku!"

"Where are they?!" he snarled. "You are the guardian – where are they?" A tentacle lashed out, catching her on the back of her head, blinding her for an instant. She would have crashed to the ground if she hadn't been bound to a pillar in the centre of the room they were in. Ropes chafed at her wrists and ankles, sending a burning pain down her arms when she tried to move.

Ugh. She felt like a steamroller had squashed her. She fought the insane urge to giggle – 'Imagine that, a steam-roller in the Sengoku Jidai!'

Naraku's voice pulled her out of her distraction. "Where – are – the – shards!" he hissed.

'Oh-ho! Of course that's it. Well, here goes…' "I don't have them." Whack. A blow to the legs.

"What?!" Head. "That's impossible!" Ribs cracked. "I know you know where they are!" Jaw. Blood trickled down her neck, filling her nose with the sour stench. 

'No harm in saying anything – it's not like he can't handle it.' "Inuyasha has them." Her head fell forwards, the pain throbbing through her skull. To her surprise, Naraku smiled. She didn't like that smile.

"Well, if he won't come to get the shards back, he'll come to get his mate, I'm sure."

To his astonishment, she looked at him with wide eyes. Then, inexplicably, a snort of laughter escaped her. And then another. Ignoring her injuries, she laughed at him uncontrollably. He raised his voice to be heard over her hysterics. "And what is so funny about the situation?"

To no avail. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, and laughed even harder.

* * *

Ooh – did you guess? What is that Kikyou up to??? Next Chapter: A Moment's Delay. Review!


	7. 7 A Moment's Delay

Hey, shout out time! To my reviewers…

Pyro: an almost instant review! I feel privileged…really!

Kitsune Hanyou: yes, all right, cliffie writers are evil! "MWHA HA HA HA!" Ooh, was that me?

Mattielover: a regular reviewer is a thing of beauty…

Jessica T: hello again! Hope you like this chapter…it's kind of where the whole story idea came from.

Fiwen: ok, little monkey, here it is! And I can't believe anyone would _cancel_ Inuyasha – what is TV land coming to, I wonder? All the good stuff is disappearing!

A/N: Personal update, to all my loyal readers – this week has been absolute _hell_. So much so, I've been doing this writing stuff all hours in an effort to escape from it all! So, here's another chappie, way ahead of my usual time. Just don't get used to it…hopefully I'll get a life again soon.

Oh yeah, all that 'voting' for Sesshoumaru or Naraku as 'the attacker' brought it to my attention – haven't mentioned Sesshy in this fic at all thus far! Oops. I promise, I will try to fix that…

Disclaimer: Dratted guilty conscience * grumbles * - I don't own Inuyasha. Feh.

* * *

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Choice and Consequence

Chapter 7: A Moment's Delay

Naraku, to put it lightly, was getting annoyed. Very annoyed.

"_What_ is so hilarious, wench?"

It did make for quite a confusing sight. A furious hanyou was towering menacingly over his captive – and his captive was having a fit of the giggles. Kagura and Kanna watched impassively from the sidelines. Kanna's face betrayed no emotion, while Kagura's mouth was twisted into a wry grin.

Well, it _was_ funny to watch. She settled in to see the rest.

* * *

If Kagome hadn't been tied to a pole, she would have been rolling on the floor, she was laughing so hard. Tears of mirth rolled down her face – but to a keen listener, some of the laughs would have sounded suspiciously like sobs.

She couldn't stop. 'I guess all this stress is getting to me…'

Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed Naraku raising a tentacle in readiness for yet another attack. She quickly shook her head, gulping for air. When she could finally speak again, the words came out in gasps.

"You…you've..already lost…"

Understandably this comment did not improve the Evil One's already flaming temper. He reached out a hand to grip Kagome's chin in a bruising hold. Her mistreated jaw blazed in agony at the rough handling, but she bit down hard on the scream that threatened to burst out of her.

"Care to say that again?" There was no mistaking the threat in that voice. She regained a little more control, forcing herself to breathe.

"You've lost this battle." She stopped to think, and shook her head. "Amazing…you've been one step ahead of us all this time, it seems, and now you miss this." She raised her head to look him square in the eye.

"Inuyasha will never come for me. You've lost."

* * *

Trees whipped by in a rushing blur. At the speed with which he was moving, it would _really_ hurt if he collided with one. This sad event was quite likely as Inuyasha was paying little or no attention to his surroundings.

'Stupid, stupid, _stupid, STUPID!_' he thought viciously. What angered him even more was the fact that these vindictive thoughts could not in all honesty be directed at his somewhat shamefaced companions. No, the blame rested fully upon his own idiotic shoulders. 'Really, _really_ stupid!'

How could he have let this happen? For the past two weeks he had been a first-class jerk. First of all, he had let his temper get the better of him, attacking Kagome. Actually, no, he didn't want to think about that. He quickly moved on to the next item of bad behaviour. That night at the camp, he had said something wrong, made her leave them. Of course, he had no idea what he'd said, but that made no difference when it came down to it. Bottom line, he was always doing that. 

Jerk.

He'd been off running through the forest while she had been seriously hurt by that scorpion youkai. He had allowed Kouga to snatch her away from him, possibly putting her in even more danger than ever. He had been lulled by Kikyou's presence, so that he hadn't even smelt Kagome's return…and then – 

"AARRGHH! STUPID!" He slashed at a branch in fury, not slowing his pace.

He'd kissed Kikyou. Of all the moronic things to do, he'd kissed the undead miko. (Well, she had kissed him, but…he'd _let her_!! He was a hanyou, he was strong, why couldn't he just push her off straight away? Yup, one more thing to add to the bad behaviour list – after losing his temper so often, he hadn't got mad when it really counted.) And Kagome had seen him.

Kagome had seen _them_. Oh, that hurt. But the best was yet to come…

He had simply stood there. He might as well have been in a trance, caught between action and inaction. Who knew how long he had stayed there? It must have been a while if Kagome had gotten back to camp and left again without him even noticing. But it hadn't seemed like any time had passed at all. And during that time, Naraku had somehow gotten his claws on Kagome. 

He suddenly felt the need to tear something to shreds.

* * *

All pretence of bravado slipped away from Kagome as her strength finally gave out. She sagged against the ropes around her body, letting them take her exhausted weight. Her part in this was over, she didn't want to fight anymore, she just wanted to lie down and sleep…

Naraku remained strangely unmoved by her statement. His face was slack, with a cold expression painted onto his features. The only sign of vitality was a sudden flash of anger in his eyes.

Or was it satisfaction?

"And why would that be?" he asked. She would have glared at him, but she was too out of it now. Did he really have to make her say it?

"I'm not needed here anymore. Inuyasha and Kikyou – " she stumbled over her words for an instant, then carried on – "are reunited. He has what he needs to get all of the shikon no tama, and all that he needs to defeat YOU." Venom fairly dripped from her voice. "He has no idea where I am, or even that I'm missing, and so this little trap you've set has failed right from the start." She let her head loll to the side, hiding her gaze from prying eyes.

Naraku was thoroughly enjoying himself. This submission, this breaking of the spirit – this was what he lived for. He had yet another trick to play, however.

"But as your mate, he would have to come and find you. After all, he's disrupted my plans quite enough times to prove his devotion to you." He waited.

The forlorn girl clenched her fists, grinding her teeth in fury. "How many times do I have to tell you? He loves her, not me! He would come to get her, not me! My job is done, he has no reason to come!"

Ahh, there it was – his little curse had come full-circle. He really did despise youkai who took joy mainly in physically destroying their prey. Sure, you could kill some people, but those left behind would actually gain strength from that fact, increasing their determination to fight. No, the key was to break, to bind, to remove spirit, soul, mind and emotions. That was the only complete victory.

The only true conquest came from the inside out. Take away their will to live, sooner or later their life follows. 

Hmm, it had worked so well. Hanyou loves miko, miko loves hanyou, miko thinks hanyou tried to kill her, seals said hanyou to a tree. Second miko arrives, unseals hanyou, miko loves hanyou, hanyou loves both mikos – has to choose. Hanyou chooses second miko, first miko shows up to spoil everything, second miko thinks hanyou has gone back to first miko. Second miko runs, first miko helps capture second miko, hanyou going mad…yes, a complex chain of events.

One more thing was needed to make the job complete. He motioned towards the side of the room.

Kagome looked up dully at the motion he made. 'What now?' She gasped. 

Kikyou walked into the space in the centre of the room, gazing coolly at the captive girl. "What should I do with her, Kikyou?" Naraku already knew the answer – this was too much fun…

"She is unimportant. Kill her." The undead miko turned and walked away. Kagome turned just in time to see a fist crashing down on her skull, knocking her once more into nothingness.

* * *

Sango, Miroku and Shippo made their way as best they could in the general direction that their hanyou friend had taken. Not for the first time, they wished they had brought Kirara on this little jaunt of theirs. Shippo was lucky, being small enough to cuddle up in Sango's arms, or sit on Miroku's shoulder. The other two had no such refuge from the endless walking.

"Houshi-sama, can we stop for a bit? I need a rest!" Sango moaned. Miroku, despite his excellent stamina, was only too glad to comply. They tumbled onto a clear patch of grass by the road, muscles aching mercilessly. Sango twisted around uncomfortably, trying to ease the tenseness in her neck. She stiffened when she felt two warm hands begin to ease away the soreness. "H-houshi-sama?" 

The hands stopped their gentle movements, resting softly on her shoulders. "Mmm?"

She felt more than a little foolish for interrupting him, and besides, he had been helping. "Er – nothing. Ah…a little to the left?" She blushed. 'Way to encourage the pervert, Sango!'

Out of sight, he grinned. "Very well, Sango." His smile widened at the small gasps his attentions were causing. There was nothing perverted about this – but with a little imagination…oh, yes.

Sango, blissfully unaware of the path her friend's thoughts were presently taking, relaxed under his touch. "How far ahead do you suppose Inuyasha is, Houshi-sama? I feel like we're getting nowhere at this pace." She frowned. "He shouldn't have just run off like that, should he? If Naraku really does have Kagome-chan, it's going to take all of us to get her out of there." No reply. "Houshi-sama?"

Miroku hastily cleared his head of certain images. "Ah, er, yes. All of us." Much to his annoyance, Shippo took this opportunity to wake up and start making a nuisance of himself.

"Hey, why've we stopped? Have we found dog-boy yet?" Upon being told that they hadn't, he wrinkled his face up in a frown. "Well, why not? We've gotta find Kagome!" He paused, looking at the two humans. "Sango, why're you blushing?"

The flow of questions was rudely interrupted by a sweater that Sango had retrieved out of Kagome's bag. The garment flew over the little kitsune, smothering him in thick material. "Hey, wha – mmph, fph, fwhmpf!"

Miroku sighed in evident relief. "Yes, Sango, a definite improvement. Well, we should be going, ne?" Sango was about to answer when a gold shape on the horizon caught her eye. "You have got to be kidding…Kirara?" The transformed cat demon landed gracefully in front of the weary travelers, giving them a look that clearly said 'well, what are you waiting for then?' Sango shrugged, at a bit of a loss. "I don't know why she's here – I thought I told you to stay at the village?!" The cat demon ignored the question, simply waiting for her passengers. Miroku gave up figuring it out and made as if to climb on. "Well, Sango, I for one am simply glad that she is here. Finding Inuyasha will be far easier from the air, wouldn't you agree?" He was stopped by an iron-hard grip on his wrist.

"Houshi-sama, what makes you think you are riding?" He twisted around in hurt surprise.

"Why, Sango, how am I supposed to keep up on the ground?" He gave her his best 'innocent smile'. "It would be quite impossible, as you are aware. I will just have to ride behind you!" She was not fooled for a minute by the 'friendly guy' act. But he was right, she couldn't leave him behind when he was needed to help locate and rescue Kagome. She sighed in resignation. "Very well, Houshi-sama. You can ride. But if those hands of yours wander any further than they're supposed to…" She let the threat hang between them. He nodded and they clambered up onto Kirara, Shippo snuggled in Sango's lap (having finally found his way out from under the sweater that Sango had silenced him with). 

As soon as Kirara saw that everyone was ready, she took off. Miroku tightened his grip on Sango's waist reflexively, then backed off at her red-faced glare. "Calm down, Sango, I merely had no wish to fall to the ground!" He assumed a dignifed expression. "Don't you trust me?" He could have sworn he heard her mutter a reply – which he chose to ignore.

It sounded an awful lot like, "Not on your life."

* * *

__

Flames filled her vision, blinding her. A voice spoke from out of nowhere.

"Do you understand?"

No, she did not understand. She didn't understand any of this.

Her body had faded, but she was still here. And power burned in her veins, the like of which she had never felt in her life before. She could hear Kikyou, but she was nowhere to be seen. Strange.

A pink flash of light erupted from the gloom, casting everything into shadow. She could vaguely hear astonished shouts, and then…they were calling her name. They were afraid…of what?

The ripping sensation – a moment of intense pain – she was burning…

Her eyes snapped open, her breath erratic from the dream she had just woken up from. She would be _so_ glad when she didn't have to get those anymore. It didn't help, of course, that she was so battered and bruised that she couldn't sit up and recover from the shock of the nightmare.

Every motion made her feel like she was falling apart.

She snorted in disdain. Of course, feeling like something had crushed her bones was nothing compared to the fact that Kikyou, the cold, unfeeling zombie woman, had sentenced her to death a short while ago. In fact, after getting that final blow, she had fleetingly thought that that had been the end; but it seemed that Naraku wanted to prolong the agony. How typical.

'I guess I won't have to work out what all those dreams mean, after all,' she thought unhappily. 'There won't be enough time.' The dank little room she was in was very dark and gloomy, with very little light showing. She vainly tried to hear anything being said outside her cell, but the castle seemed to be asleep.

'Judging by the silence and lack of light, it's sometime at night. I've probably got until morning before he comes for me.' Ugh – happy thought.

To pass the time, she let her mind wander back to her shard-hunting friends. She wondered what was happening now.

'Sango, Miroku and Shippo will be looking for me, I guess. Hmm, let's see – Sango will be looking for clues, Miroku will be looking at Sango looking for clues, and Shippo will be chattering away like a monkey, generally getting in everyone's way. Inuyasha –' she really didn't want to think about him right now, but it was unavoidable – 'Inuyasha will be looking for shards, shouting at the others to get a move on and stop fussing around. He'll be wondering where the heck Kikyou got to…because she's here with Naraku!' The full implications of this hit her fuzzy brain with a rush. 'She's betrayed him again! He doesn't know she's with Naraku now, he'll believe anything she says, and she'll lead him right into a trap before he has any idea what's going on!' 

* * *

Inuyasha was unceremoniously forced to a screeching halt by a vice-like hold on his arm. He had been so intent on reaching his goal – Naraku, and ultimately, Kagome – that he had not been paying attention to who was nearby. He had real cause to regret that now.

"Where are you going in such a hurry, Inuyasha?" His heart sank at the cold voice that had greeted him. 'Not now, oh please, not now – I don't have time!' No use.

Sesshoumaru regarded him stonily. "You're not going to ignore me, are you, little hanyou?" Inuyasha swiped at the claws that held him…missing by a mile. Whoops. He resorted to his usual method of ticking his half-brother off. He started talking.

"Put me _down_, bastard! I have to get to Naraku – " He stopped at the sudden look in Sesshomaru's eyes. 'Huh?'

"You know where Naraku is?" Sesshoumaru asked. He really sounded almost…eager. "Show me." Without waiting for a reply, he took off running in the direction Inuyasha had been traveling in. Understandably taken aback by his half-brother's sudden switch in attitude, he started following. It was no good, he had to know – "Why do you want to find this creep, anyway? It's not like you've been looking for shikon shards!" The youkai turned, implacable anger sweeping across his aristocratic features. Inuyasha fought the traitorous urge to step back nervously.

"He kidnapped Rin. He will have to pay for that. The girl is under my protection." Obviously feeling that no further explanation was necessary, he turned and headed once more into the distance. "Hey!"

Fuming at the unwelcome interruption, Sesshoumaru turned. Inuyasha blinked.

"Er, Naraku's smell - it's…that way." The two unwilling allies raced off.

* * *

A clanking sound at her door roused Kagome from a restless slumber. Apprehensively, she tried to stand, only to find that her legs were still disobeying any commands she gave them. She settled for waiting for whoever it was on the cold stone floor. She didn't have to wait long.

Naraku himself entered the tiny cell. "Good morning," he said mockingly.

"Huh? Good morning?" She thought about it for a second. 'Ah.'

"Follow me." He turned to go, then stopped when he realized that she wasn't coming after him. Giving in to the fact that her legs wouldn't work, he wrapped a tentacle around her waist and lifted her, carrying her none too gently toward the stairs that led to the roof. Sensing the question long before she asked, he said, "I don't need any mess left in my castle. We are going outside." Right.

As they emerged into the dim light of dawn, she took a furtive look around her. If this was the last thing she was going to see, she wanted to know where she was. Unfortunately this valley was just like any other valley, and she had no idea where it was. The wild beauty of the Sengoku Jidai never ceased to amaze her, but sometimes she really could have wished that it didn't all look the same. A winding path led up the side of one of the surrounding hills, but that looked like the only way in or out of this place. Great. Wait…was that someone standing there?

* * *

Much to his imminent peril (falling from a great height was not good for your health), Shippo started bouncing up and down in his seat. "I smell him! I smell him! Inuyasha…" he paused. "And someone like him?"

The two humans glanced at each other. "Not…Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked. "He would have a similar scent to Inuyasha, being related, wouldn't he?" Miroku shrugged, his attention having been caught by a run-down looking castle in the distance. "Ah, Sango, doesn't that look familiar to you?"

"Naraku's castle." The grim hatred in her voice made him shudder, thankful that it wasn't directed at him. As they flew in closer, they picked up the faint image of two inuyoukai racing towards the same destination. "It IS him! I don't believe it…" Sango broke off at the horrifying sight that met her eyes. "Oh, Houshi-sama, look! It's Kagome –and Naraku has her." She urged Kirara to greater speed.

* * *

Naraku glanced up as he sensed the intruders in his domain. "Ah, my other two projects. They are so _very_ determined to defeat me, are they not? And do you know the best part?"

Kagome wasn't sure she wanted to know this. At his next words, she was certain of it.

"They want to kill me, to get rid of the curses I wrought on their lives. And it's quite a futile gesture." He leaned in close to Kagome's face, as though conveying a precious secret. She fought the urge to gag at his nearness. "Killing me will have no effect on those same curses. If I should die – highly unlikely, but if that should happen…I will still have my satisfaction. The curses will live on." He laughed then, making the girl shiver. It simply couldn't be true.

* * *

Miroku would die within a few years from the hole in his hand. Sango would never regain her younger brother. Had it all been for nothing, in the end? She hung her head in utter defeat.

Inuyasha spotted the ageing castle and sped towards it. Something caught his eye, up on the battlements, which made him yell in horror. Kagome, hardly able to stand, in Naraku's grasp – and Naraku was looking straight at him. He shivered. The bastard knew they were here…which meant that he had just run out of time.

He started to bound down the path towards the castle when Sesshoumaru once again latched onto his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Would you quit doing that? We have to hurry!" he snarled. The older youkai refused to let go, saying, "You can't just race in there – you don't know what he's got planned."

"All I know is that he's going to kill Kagome, right in front of me! Now let me GO!" Inuyasha pulled free. After that everything seemed to happen all at once.

Kagome looked down and saw him, wonder filling her face. "He…he came?"

Naraku bided his time, waiting. Just a moment more – enough to let him think he might make it…

Inyasha scrambled up onto the ledge, reaching desperately to save the young miko.

Kikyou walked out into the daylight to watch what was happening – all according to plan.

When Inuyasha was barely a few metres away, Naraku almost casually dragged a claw across Kagome's neck, letting her fall bleeding to the ground. He disappeared.

Inuyasha reached her, falling to the ground beside her where she lay. He looked at the damage in horrified disbelief. "No, Kagome…NO! Damn you, Sesshoumaru – I was too late because of you and your delays! Kagome, please…please…" He couldn't tear his eyes away. 'The blood – her blood. Oh, gods, so much blood!' Kagome's eyes were closed; but one thought was echoing over and over in her mind.

* * *

'He came…he _came_…came for _me_…_he came_.'

Argh! * Dodges sharp implements * don't hurt me! I promise, there's a reason for all this! And no, I'm not going to tell what happens next. I guess you'll just have to wait… *dodge * stop it! It won't be very long between chapters, don't worry. 

Next Chapter: Joining Forces. 


	8. 8 Joining Forces

Time to shout out! Here's to my reviewers:

JetBear: also known as Jessica T – it's all coming together now…ooh, the plot thickens! * Evil grin * Just wait and see what's about to happen – wonder if you saw it coming?

Kitsune Hanyou: *sniffs * my hero! Saved my life! Angry reviewers are no laughing matter – I may need some more defending after this one…

Mattielover: great to see you're still reading! It's very encouraging.

A/N: okay, people, here's the deal. This will be a long chapter. I'm on a roll now, so to speak, and I want to get this thing written before I mess it up by playing with it too much! Note: we are nearing the end, kind of, and it will get, erm, intense before the end. If you're a softie at heart, bring tissues!

Disclaimer: I'm running out of things to say…well, I don't own Inuyasha. (Not even a plushy!)

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Choice and Consequence

Chapter 8: Joining Forces

Inuyasha couldn't tear his eyes away from the horrifying sight before him. Kagome lay in a crumpled heap, blood oozing steadily from the gash in her neck. He cautiously lifted a shaking hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. "Kagome, please…open your eyes!" He tensed at the slight motion he could see her making as she shifted toward his voice. Her words would stay with him for the rest of his life.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?"

'Wha-?' Out of the corner of his eye he could see his half-brother attacking Naraku with something as close to fury as he had ever seen from the stoic youkai. He paid them no attention – indeed, all he could focus on was what she had said. Her voice had been so…sad. Resigned. Had he done that to her? Careless of their situation, he let his shock blend into rich, heavy anger. Didn't she know by now?

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' wench?" he barked. "Did you think I wouldn't come?" His anger drained away when she turned her head away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. He had his answer. He viciously fought the urge to beg her to look at him – though he couldn't help but notice her slender form beginning to shake. 'She's growing weaker,' he thought in alarm. His ears pricked up at the sound of her breathing. It sounded like she was trying to speak, but even his hearing couldn't pick up the pained whispers. He leant down toward her, positioning his head directly beside hers. 

"Why did you come? There's nothing you need here." Tears slid wetly down her face – the first tears she had shed since she had seen _them_ in the forest that night. He reared back in surprise. 'Nothing I need…?'

He was lost for words. So this was what she really thought of him. That he kept her around to find shards, and that was it. How wrong could one person be? And how badly had he stuffed everything up this time? He was no fool; he understood injuries. It would be painfully slow, but no human could survive that kind of wound. Soon she would die.

She couldn't die before this was put right. He simply wouldn't allow it. Not again.

He snaked a hand out to grip her chin lightly, forcing her to look at him. "Kagome, listen to me." She weakly tried to pull out of his hold, screwing her eyes shut at the pain the movement caused. He growled at her resistance, inexorably pulling her back to face him. "Dammit, I said listen!" She looked at him; he cursed inwardly at the dullness of her eyes. 'She's slipping…'

A yellow blur landed on the ground a small distance from the pair, settling into the shape of a demon cat, a demon exterminator, a houshi and a kitsune. Sango spoke softly to her mount, after which the cat demon streaked away from the fighting, bearing a shrieking Shippo out of danger. Sango and Miroku raced over toward the fallen miko, concern etched onto their faces. When Kagome caught sight of them, she began to struggle in earnest against Inuyasha's hold. His heart sank at the way her head flopped around helplessly.

"Miroku…have to talk to Miroku…and Sango…quickly." She could feel her strength fading with every minute that ticked by. Inuyasha unwillingly made room for the two humans to crowd up to her, allowing them to lean close and hear what she was saying. He couldn't hear it all, but judging by the way Miroku's face lost all colour, and how Sango slumped into the houshi for support, it couldn't have been good. He strained his senses, trying to hear the soft conversation over the crashing sound of Naraku and Sesshoumaru's battle going on in the background. Ahh…something about – a curse? Argh. What did a curse matter at a time like this?! His nose twitched – the scent of blood was growing. 'Oh, no.'

* * *

Sesshoumaru grunted with the force of his throw, sending Naraku flying into the castle wall. This hanyou was steadily weakening with all the numerous attacks that Sesshoumaru had landed, letting his fighting get sloppy. On the other hand, his poisonous miasma was as much of a threat as ever. He ducked to the side, dodging a particularly forceful blast of the stuff. "You will die today, Naraku. I, Sesshoumaru, will not let you live."

Naraku smirked, letting a confident expression creep across his face. "Are you so sure, inu? What makes you think you can beat me?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. 'There must be something here we haven't seen…' He frowned at the sudden pulse of power in Naraku's aura. 'He's – increasing? No, that's not right…' Realization hit. 'This is trouble.' Naraku's eyes had slid closed, temporarily ignoring the obvious threat posed by the inuyoukai in front of him. A startled gasp made the Western Lord turn his head to the source of the sound. A small way off, Kagura had fallen to her knees, clutching her throat and fighting for breath. "No…" He raised an eyebrow when she fell the rest of the way to the ground, her eyes blank and lifeless. Further off, Kanna crumpled in a similar fashion. Indeed, all around the battle arena, youkai were falling to the ground, unmoving. 

Naraku, on the other hand, was glowing with the brightness of a fierce flame.

The black-hearted hanyou rolled his shoulders, easing out the kinks in his muscles. Crackling energy surrounded his claws as he flexed his hands in preparation. "Ahh, that's so much better." He looked over for an instant to where his former minions were strewn about on the ground. And chuckled.

"Fighting is so much easier when you're not divided into many parts. Controlling those idiots was rather draining…but don't worry. Now I can give you my whole attention." He launched himself at Sesshoumaru, claws outstretched. A handful of seconds later, and the inuyoukai was out of the fight. Naraku straightened up, turning his baleful eyes upon the small group on the battlements. "Your turn." He snapped a hand up, directing a column of miasma towards his intended victims.

* * *

Through the haze that was hopelessly fogging her mind, Kagome sensed the incoming threat. "Miroku! Help me…" She concentrated. Anyone could see that there was no time to run. 

Miroku stared at her for a second, still reeling from the news she had given him. It wasn't possible – not after all this…Belatedly he twisted around to meet the attack, only to find that he wasn't needed.

The wave of miasma was boiling ineffectually at the edge of a shining blue sphere of power. "Kagome!" Inuyasha dashed over towards the young miko, worry warring with anger in his voice. "Don't try stuff like that, you little fool – you're not strong enough!" He winced. 'That didn't exactly come out right…again.' He tried again. "I meant…" She cut him off with a wave of the hand.

"You can't stay here, guys. The fight is over there. I'll – " she broke off as a shudder wracked her frame. "I'll be fine. Go and do what you have to." She sighed, letting her eyes slide shut. Her body continued to shake relentlessly, reacting to the massive loss of blood. Her clothes were coated with the sticky stuff.

Miroku solemnly laid a hand upon her cold cheek. "Hold on for as long as you can, Kagome-sama." Affection glinted in his eyes as he sadly regarded the mortally wounded girl. "Stay strong. You dreamt about a future – life will not let you go until you have finished what you are supposed to." He glanced around – Kagome's shield was wavering with the strain. Time to go. Greatly daring, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. There was no need to explain – it was a farewell.

In the last seconds remaining to them, Sango threw her arms around her dear friend, unable to contain the sobs that burst from her. "I – I can't do this, Kagome," she whispered fearfully. "We need you!" Kagome smiled wistfully up at her, murmuring, "You have everything you need, Sango. I think…you will have a good life." This only prompted more tears from the demon exterminator. She tore herself from her friend, swallowing hard. They had to be ready to fight now. The two humans stepped through the barrier, leaving the hanyou alone with Kagome.

Inuyasha was stricken. He had to fight – HAD TO – but…he didn't want to. He wanted to stay, to protect this little human. He flinched when she finally looked up at him. "Promise me something." He gulped.

"Anything."

Her eyes were drooping tiredly, but she forced the words out somehow. This was important to her – it had haunted her almost since the dreams had begun.

__

Her body fading, disappearing without a trace – as though she had never existed…

"Remember me." His ears pricked forward at the faint sound. His eyes must have betrayed his confusion. 

"Don't let me be forgotten…after all this…when I go, everything will change…please, remember me." 

Her head lolled back, her eyes glassy. So tired… "You have to go." She succumbed to the exhaustion nibbling at her senses, muscles falling slack. The barrier wavered once more, then disappeared completely. Inuyasha looked up in shock, his mind screaming in denial of what that meant. She was gone. 'No.'

For the second time in his adult life, tears spilled from his eyes. Last time they were tears of relief – and now…

Someone was going to die for this. 

He bent and pressed his lips to hers, his chest aching from the pain. One last time, he looked at her – as though she were sleeping. "I love you." Shaking, he turned away, his head bowed in sorrow.

His eyes hardened as he looked out over the fighting. "Naraku!" He leapt toward the battle, drawing Tetsusaiga. Oh, yes, someone was definitely going to die for this.

* * *

Kikyou stepped out from among the shadows. 'Finally, everything's ready…' Her eyes rested on the shining figure floating above her reincarnation's body. "Not leaving yet?"

The figure frowned at her. 'I can't move'

"I know. You still have a job to do." She sighed in exasperation at the look of incomprehension on the younger girl's face. "You know perfectly well that they can't beat him on their own. None of them can."

Kagome lowered her gaze. "Yes, I know. They can injure him, maybe, but not destroy him." Kikyou regarded her coldly. "So, now do you understand?"

Kagome's head snapped up. Those words…impossible.

"What am I supposed to understand? He can't simply be killed, he just heals himself. He has to be purified – and only a miko can do that. One of us?" she asked uncertainly. Kikyou huffed.

"Think – is either one of us strong enough to do that on our own?"

Silence.

"We are one soul, you and I. Something that should never have been. But now, together we can finish what was started so long ago. And everything happens for a purpose, in this battle. Do you see?" Kagome glared at the undead miko (still not exactly sure how the woman could even see her). "So, you showing up, kissing Inuyasha, turning me over to Naraku and letting me die all have a purpose? I'd love to hear it."

Kikyou shrugged. "We don't really have time, but if you insist…what was begun with the shikon no tama's creation must finish with its destruction. And with its destruction comes the end of the line of shikon guardians. Meaning you and I. Still mikos, but not guardians. But what is needed now requires that you have no attachments keeping you back from your duty – you needed to leave your physical body permanently."

"I had to die," Kagome stated flatly. "Not to be rude – but why?"

"I'm getting to that. My supply of souls has not been enough to keep my powers up, and your constant running away from this time left you unprepared for this. I had to speed up your acceptance of what was to come. But –" she grimaced, "I could only do this once I was sure that you would stay. Believe me, your oh-so-selfless decision to stay couldn't have been more convenient."

'The dreams,' Kagome thought. 

"Now the dream is to be fulfilled – we will tap into that power that you observed." Kagome was almost afraid to ask, "How?"

"We have to become the way we were meant to be. One body, with our full powers. Only then can the shikon no tama end, and Naraku be destroyed. Hence, you had to die – otherwise this simply would not work." Kagome thought about what she had said – and had only one question.

"How?"

* * *

Inuyasha fought with all his fury. There was no way Naraku would be left alive after today – not after what he'd done to them all. He jumped at Naraku, swinging wildly as he passed over his enemy's head. Skidding to a halt, he watched as Sango went on the offensive, throwing Hiraikotsu from the back of the newly returned Kirara. Predictably, she missed…Naraku was a bit too good at dodging. Miroku was prevented from using his air rip by the insidious presence of Naraku's insects, forced to resort to his trusty shakujou as a weapon. Sesshoumaru was, incredibly, back on his feet (if a little shaky, although he'd never admit it) and trying to keep Naraku on the defensive as much as possible. 

And it was having little to no effect. He could have screamed.

"KAZE NO KIZU!" He swung the sword as hard as he could, sending a shock wave of energy toward his target. Too late, he espied the protective barrier that had once repelled the Kaze no Kizu before. "Duck!"

They scattered. Naraku simply laughed as the attack rebounded off of his shield, bearing down on his opponents. The resulting explosion shook the ground beneath their feet, causing a cloud of dust and smoke to cover the area. The results were, for him, most satisfactory.

Inuyasha was crumpled in a heap, victim to his own attack. He wasn't really moving.

The houshi was braced up against a battered wall, clutching his broken shakujou in disbelief.

The demon exterminator was crouched in the middle of the battlefield, undecided as to which direction to run in. 

Ah, the demon exterminator. Time for a little more fun. He called out a summons that made the girl's face blanch.

"Kohaku."

Sango was in hell. Her brother, out to kill her once again. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. To kill him. No. However, Kohaku obviously did not share her reluctance. He attacked.

Naraku was just settling in to watch the fight when a flash of light caught his attention. Annoyed, he looked over – and froze.

Kikyou, that dead wench, was standing with…it couldn't be. What happened next was definitely NOT what he had planned.

Inuyasha stirred painfully, his eyes finding the same sight that Naraku had. 'What? Kagome?' He snarled.

"What the hell is Kikyou doing to Kagome?!"

* * *

"Unh…how does this work again?" Kagome asked nervously. 

"Your former body will be the vessel – it can't be mine, to do the spell we have to be flesh and blood. When we touch, the combination will begin. After that – we will have the strength of both of us in the one person, as it should have been all along - and we will be free to proceed."

Kagome shivered. "Okay, then. Here goes nothing." She reached out a hand. Kikyou raised a hand to meet it. They touched.

And the world went crazy.

* * *

Well, have to leave it here for now – I'm so tired! More soon, don't worry. * Dodges flying objects * Aahh! No more than a few days wait, I promise! Just keep in mind – all is not exactly what it seems… (oohh…) Next Chapter: 9 Battle for Supremacy. Ja ne!


	9. 9 Battle for Supremacy

It's that time again…shout outs!

JetBear: dear friend! * falls over in shock* Oh, wow! Wow, wow, wow…And yes, I'll email you notice of chapters upcoming. Or just for fun * lol* LOVE reading your reviews.

Mattielover: you're my 50th reviewer!! Amazing. And no worries about the review, glad to. Anytime.

Kitsune hanyou: yes, a beautiful shield…I made you cry?! Ah, gomen. But then, fics that can do that are usually the ones I like best...hmm.

Pink twilight: back for more? I'm not going to give away plot points *hee hee! * 

Kirsten: Yes, all hail the spellcheck button! I'm glad you like how I've written the characters. Confession: never seen the anime, never read the manga. (It doesn't exist in Australia – I found this wonderful story completely by chance.) However, I have done my research, read tons of fics, good and bad, and the lifesaving Internet translations. (Chris Rijk – yahoo!)

Zonza: I live for suspense! I get to torture people from halfway around the world…Yes, I wanted a bit of an insight into how Naraku's mind worked (eww). Glad you think it worked out.

A/N: Ready for round two? The battle is far from over – on more levels than one. Parts of it you'll like, parts you'll want to hurt me for (I'm strong, won't cry) – bring on the tissues!

Disclaimer: Hmpf. I don't own Inuyasha…and I'm not worth suing. Really. I'm broke!

Note: slight change – italics for dreams, flashbacks and Kikyou's thoughts. You'll see why…

* * *

****

Choice and Consequence

Chapter 9: Battle for Supremacy

As their hands met, enormous power began to gather around the two of them. Caught in the grip of the magic, Kagome was only able to watch as her physical body was lifted by invisible forces into the air. The corpse was eventually positioned so that it looked as though Kagome herself was standing upright without any assistance. A stray thought wandered into Kagome's mind as she looked on.

'Huh. Is this REALLY what I look like? I had no idea…'

Kikyou was hissing frantic instructions at her. "When the eyes open, you will go back inside. I will follow you – don't close yourself off to me, or you'll die all over again. Understand?" Kagome nodded. 

Yes, now she understood.

She flicked her eyes over to where her friends were standing, mouths gaping open in astonishment. It was terrible to see the expressions on their faces; fear, wonder, hope and sorrow were all evident. She attempted to lift a hand to reassure them, grunting in annoyance when her limbs remained unresponsive. Not that she hadn't expected it, really – after all, she hadn't been able to move in her dreams, either.

The eyes opened.

Kagome suppressed a startled squeal when she felt herself being pulled back into the body she had only recently left. The scenery around her disappeared for an instant, replaced instead by streaked light and rushing wind. The sensation was what she imagined a fish would feel when it was caught on a hook, being reeled in. She was being pulled along on a line, powerless to stop. She glanced around. Ha. It didn't look as though Kikyou was enjoying this any more than she was. The awesome light grew blinding, and she shut her eyes to wait until the transformation was complete.

* * *

Inuyasha struggled to raise himself on his arms. Using the Tetsusaiga as a staff, he propped himself up so that he could get a better view of what was happening. 

He was furious.

Kikyou was here. He should have known. And now she was doing something to Kagome's body, when it should be left to rest peacefully! His mind raced to find an explanation for the undead miko's behaviour. A chill gripped him – that was it. The clue here was 'undead'. Both girls shared the same soul, and now that…that…_this_ had happened, the miko was trying to steal back what she had lost so long ago. It couldn't be allowed to happen. This cycle of misery had to end.

"Kikyou! Get away from her!" he bellowed. He struggled to move toward her, staggering under the weight of his injuries. "Dammit, woman, don't you touch her! Don't – "

A sudden rush of power knocked him off of his feet, sending him sprawling on the hard floor. "What in the seven hells was THAT?" he gasped. He glimpsed Miroku standing near Sango, equally perplexed at the situation they had gotten themselves into. Kohaku, meanwhile, had fallen to the ground in much the same way as Inuyasha had. He felt a slight prick of annoyance. They had remained standing while he fell? Feh.

As the light surrounding the mikos grew brighter, his eyes were dragged back to watch. He could see Kikyou, standing over the body of his beloved Kagome, moving her lips in words that he couldn't pick up from this distance. All at once, Kagome's body began to rise, buoyed by unseen currents in the air. He could almost fool himself into thinking that she was back, recalled from the oblivion she had fallen into. That thought left him when he noticed a crucial detail. Her eyes were closed, and she showed no signs of breathing. What happened next left him breathless himself.

The corpse's eyes opened, and a pulse of power nearly sent him back to the ground in an undignified heap. Growling, he resisted the urge to let gravity work on him, fixing his eyes on the phenomenon that was unfolding. A glowing figure appeared beside Kagome's corpse – it looked like a human shape – and was sucked at a tremendous pace into the body. Before he had time to deny the implications of this, the sight of Kikyou's earthen body crumbling to dust froze him to the spot. A second shining figure rose from the remains and entered Kagome, leaving no trace of its former owner.

'Kikyou is possessing Kagome's body? Oh, hell. Anything but that!'

The light steadily grew too bright for even him to look at, and he was forced to turn away. Despite not being able to see what was happening in that cloud of light, it gave him immense satisfaction to see that Naraku was no stronger against the powerful surge than he was. The foul hanyou was flattened against the inner wall of his own castle, his face contorted with anger…and fear? 'That can't be right.'

Naraku stared at the risen miko in astonishment. If what he felt growing within the miko was what he feared it was, then she was powerful beyond what even he could have wished for. Anger overwhelmed his senses, propelling him closer toward the miko. Kikyou had done this to him, had betrayed him once and for all. The plan had sounded plausible enough – drive the girl away from her friends, snatch her away as ransom, then force Inuyasha to come and get her…where Naraku would be ready and waiting. Killing her had been Kikyou's idea.

He had agreed; and it would cost him everything in the end.

Only when Kagome had relinquished her hold on that body could Kikyou initiate the recalling spell that bound them to the one common vessel. Alone, neither miko would have stood a ghost of a chance against him, but together they balanced out against each other, mixing and multiplying their powers to reach whole new levels. In hindsight, it was clear that when he had given in to Kikyou's demands and his own youkai urges, he had effectively signed his own death warrant. Incredible. One swift move and his future was practically forfeit. Unless…

He had a chance. Just one. He watched the spectacle and waited for an opening.

* * *

Sango was speechless. Her eyes were surely deceiving her – that couldn't really be Kagome-chan standing there, could it? The light was gradually fading, giving this small audience a somewhat clearer picture of what had transpired. Where there had been two women, there was now one. One who bore a startling resemblance to Kagome-chan…and yet looked nothing like her.

Confusing, to say the least.

The figure turned its head to look directly at her, causing her breath to catch harshly in her throat. There was no mistake, it was Kagome-chan! The risen miko twisted slightly to glance over at a stunned Inuyasha – and her features changed subtly until she looked more like…Kikyou. Her body was clothed in the traditional garb of a miko, and she was armed with a bow and arrow. If Sango hadn't been frozen in place, she would have fallen over in shock from the changes that had been wrought in her dear friend. With each turn of the head, the girl switched appearances – one minute Kikyou, the next Kagome. It was as if the two mikos were sharing the one body.

'Idiot – that's exactly what it is!' she berated herself. "Houshi-sama?" she called tentatively.

"Unh," was his eloquent reply. He pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and staggered over to her. "What is happening, Sango?" She gave him a disbelieving look.

"I _was_ hoping that you could tell me," she remarked. "After all, you're the houshi around here." 

"My dear Sango, being a houshi is an honour, it's true, but that does not mean that all mysteries are revealed to us on demand." She gawked at him, at a loss for words. Their situation could not be more serious, and he was in 'righteous houshi' mode? This was not a time for levity, dammit! Her frustration needed an outlet…

"Ow! Sango…."

"Be serious, houshi!" she snapped at him, her hand still raised from when she had given him a sharp slap across the face. "Kagome and Kikyou are joined, somehow, and you're joking around?! Gah!" His eyes widened perceptibly as she told him this. 'Huh. He really didn't know?'

"Ahh, Sango, I wouldn't advise that you move around right now. It would be far safer to stay right where you are." Miroku seemed uncharacteristically flustered, absently placing a hand on her arm to hold her still. Ordinarily she would have shrugged it off, and quickly too, but she told herself that these circumstances were definitely what might be called 'extenuating'. Besides, the touch _was _strangely comforting at this point. She glanced behind her to where Kohaku was still flat on the ground, then turned back to watching her friends. "Why, houshi-sama?" His eyes darted around the battleground nervously, his customary calm shot to pieces. He took his time answering, much to her annoyance.

"Sango," he began, "if this is what I think it is, then Kagome only has partial control over what will happen next. It has been done before, attempting to combine two powerful souls into one extremely powerful being, but there is a catch. Such a volatile mix of personalities cannot simply run wild; one soul must be dominant over the other. Naturally, in such cases the stronger spiritual power will take the lead and dictate the actions of the other. Kikyou always said that she was stronger, but we do not actually know for certain which of the two were in fact greater. And until this has been determined, we mustn't disturb the balance in the meantime. Kagome would never harm us – but I fear that Kikyou might, if she felt it would serve her ends."

Sango paled at this news. "They have to balance each other out? But how will we know when they've done it?" She clenched and unclenched her fists in a subconscious display of inner tension. The houshi gently took her hand to prevent her from hurting herself inadvertently. "You see how her appearance changes?"

She nodded.

"That is our signal. When we can see Kagome, then she is in control. If we see Kikyou, then she is the one running things. And we have no choice but to wait for one or the other to declare victory."

"What will she, er, they do first, houshi-sama? Will we be able to stop them if Kikyou is in charge?"

Miroku shook his head. "It would be pure folly to try to fight her now, Sango. She could wipe you out with a wave of her hand." He tightened his hold on her hand as he said this, unwilling to even think of harm coming to his dear Sango. "As for what she will do, think about it. What has all of this pain been about since the beginning?" Sango collected her scattered thoughts and concentrated. It was obvious.

"The shikon no tama."

* * *

__

We will only have one chance at this.

"I know that, Kikyou. We have to hurry, before Naraku wakes up to what's going on."

__

Summon them.

Kagome lifted her right hand high into the air, focusing entirely on the task before her. 'Ah – Miroku and Inuyasha decided to share them out…clever.' As the others watched, awestruck, her hand began to glow with a rush of power. She directed her thoughts into one tangible command. "Come." Pink streaks flashed towards the outstretched hand at an incredible speed.

* * * * * *

Far away, Kouga stumbled inexplicably while he was running. Grunting in annoyance, he pulled himself back up to his feet and made as if to run off again. Then he stopped. Something was different.

The shards were gone. No explanation. They had simply disappeared.

* * * * *

Miroku raised a hand haltingly to the pouch that had held his own little collection of shards. Three neat holes showed where the jewel fragments had pierced the leather, punching through as easily as if it had been paper. He looked over to where Naraku was standing, smugly satisfied to see that the chunk of the shikon no tama that had been in his possession was gone as well. A second look at Inuyasha showed that he, too, had suddenly had his shards taken from him. His heart sinking, he chanced a look at Kohaku.

The boy was standing stock still, his eyes vacant of expression. So…wait, he was _standing_?

* * * * * 

Kagome brought her hand down to look at the shards nestled in her palm. Satisfaction flowed through her; Kikyou, however, was far from happy.

__

Fool! Why did you bother wasting the energy to spare that wolfish mutt some pain?! A few scratches wouldn't have done any real damage – 

"He is my friend," Kagome replied calmly. "I refuse to allow my friends to be hurt if I can help it."

__

I need all of the power possible to perform the purification! Release the boy!

"No. We can save him."

__

He should be dead! He doesn't have the shard anymore; his body should be dust!

"No."

__

You are wasting energy on these trivial matters…we have to finish this! 

* * *

Inuyasha was hopelessly lost. First Kagome, then Kikyou, then back to Kagome again – it seemed the to-and-fro would never end! His head hurt from trying to figure the puzzle out. The woman (he didn't know who to call her, exactly) had taken his shards. He wasn't entirely sure if he could trust her or not.

He didn't know if he could fight her for them back again.

She seemed to be talking to herself, but he couldn't quite make out the words. Whatever it was, the conversation sounded like an argument. It was Kagome's voice, that much he could tell easily, but she wasn't talking to anyone! Unless…Kikyou was in her head.

That had to be it. And that meant they could all be in a whole mess of trouble very soon. 

As he watched, her hand closed over the shards gathered in her grasp. It glowed pink for a few seconds, then faded. When she opened her fist, a perfect sphere floated up to hover just above her hand. The shikon no tama was complete. Time to make a wish.

* * * * *

Naraku didn't dare move an inch from where he was. The immense power emanating from the miko on his battlements was potent enough to cause him serious damage. It wouldn't necessarily kill him – not when his many underlings had been absorbed into his being – but it would take him a while to recover. He had one chance at regaining the jewel.

"What will you wish for, Kikyou?" he taunted her. "My death – or your life? Say the word and that body is yours for all time…as is Inuyasha. Isn't that what you wanted?" He waited expectantly to see the effect of his words. Disappointingly, the miko's face showed no reaction. He would have liked to see the anger, despair, the mind-numbing hope that should have been there – but the result would have to be enough. The shikon no tama floated over her hand, ignored for the moment. A silent struggle seemed to be taking place. 'Perfect.'

* * *

__

"Kikyou…you wouldn't dare! If you wish for your life back, the shikon no tama will be tainted – it won't disappear!"

__

Don't be stupid. My goal has only ever been to defeat Naraku.

"Forgive me if I don't quite believe you."

__

I will be content to live in this manner. Once you learn your place, my life will be quite acceptable.

"You are NOT staying in here!"

__

You don't have a choice, little girl. The spell is irreversible. Come, you are wasting time. Let me make the wish.

"What will you wish for?" Kagome held her breath, waiting for the answer. If it was what she thought…

__

I will wish for Naraku's destruction. What else is there now? Hurry up and let me finish this!

"You can't wish for his destruction. Not before we have gotten rid of the curses he laid on my friends."

__

What do I care about that? I only want him gone. Those people mean less than nothing in the scheme of things. GIVE…ME…CONTROL…

Kagome fought against the invisible hands that attempted to seize hold of the jewel. She was angry beyond belief. Not even Inuyasha had gotten her this mad…

"Hands off, Kikyou! Lie down like the zombie you are and let me handle this! I will NOT let my friends continue to suffer like this when they don't have to! Let...me...GO!" With a supreme mental effort, Kagome pushed Kikyou's voice down into the darkest corner of her soul, where she could no longer be heard. "One chance. I know what to do. And a little something extra…" Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kagome smiled. Kikyou was gone – but her power was still there. She had never felt such power. "Just enough…" She knew what would happen next. She had dreamt it.

__

Through the smoke, a pink flash of light.

* * *

Naraku was not happy. No, not at all. Kikyou, that dumb excuse for a miko, had lost the battle. Kagome was the dominant presence in the merger. This did not bode well for him. One wish, that was all it would take, and his life would be over. His mind searched frantically for some way out of this mess…and couldn't find one.

Inuyasha stared. Kagome was back. For some reason, she had stopped looking like Kikyou all the time, and now it was just her up there. Her aura was incredibly powerful, even he could pick that up, but it was Kagome. He could have laughed.

His relieved smile faded when she met his eyes. Steel, determination…and sorrow. 'What?'

Kagome raised her hands, one on either side of the shikon no tama. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. As he watched, she began to rise off of the ground, floating in mid-air as though she weighed nothing at all. The jewel began to glow, and he fought the urge to step back. Before he knew it, the miko energy lanced outwards, fulfilling the request of its mistress.

'Wait – three beams of light? Why three?' He looked at where Naraku had been standing – and got the shock of his life. The bastard was still standing there?

A burning sensation drew his attention to his neck. Slapping at the affected area to quench any flames (it sure felt like he was on fire!) he was surprised when his hands met thin air. "Oi, where's the rosary?" The cursed necklace that had given him such grief was gone. She had used the shikon no tama for that?! No, that didn't make sense. Confused, he tried to see where the other two beams of pure light had gone. He didn't have to look far.

Kohaku was kneeling on the ground, shaking his head. His eyes were clear, and he seemed to be…alive? Impossible. His shard was gone, the boy should be dead – shouldn't he? A faint pink residue of power shrouded his body. 'Well, that's one. Trust Kagome to wish for that. Sango will be so – '

Yes, Sango had seen him. She rushed to her brother, kneeling in front of him with a look of amazement on her face. Much to Kohaku's surprise, she grabbed him in a bone-cracking hug. Inuyasha winced in sympathy. 'Ouch.' He next tried to find the houshi. Maybe he knew where that third beam had gone…

Miroku was staring at his hand with a look that bordered on horror. The same pink remnant of magic hovered around his arm, reflecting faintly in his dark eyes. As the hanyou looked on, he slowly removed the seal from his cursed hand, flinching slightly when the beads came off. Nothing. The hole in his hand was gone. Inuyasha expected the same gleeful reaction that Sango had shown…but the houshi seemed to be rather upset. He looked up at Kagome, a faintly accusing look in his eyes. 

'Kagome-sama…what have you done?! The wish…you used the wish for _this_?' he thought. Horrified, he remembered what the young miko had told him and Sango before this fight had begun.

__

"Miroku, Sango…I found something out that you're not going to like." The poor girl struggled against unconsciousness as she attempted to get the words out. This was going to be so hard…

"The curses that Naraku put on you…your brother, Sango, and your hand, Miroku…" She stopped for breath. Miroku thought his own heart would stop with the suspense he was in. She continued painfully.

"You were wrong. Killing Naraku will not end the curse. He'll die, but nothing else will change. The only way to reverse them is to try it while he's still alive. I think you have to draw on his own power to undo his curses…it's like any spell – only the one who cast it can undo it. I'm sorry."

His eyes narrowed. From what she had told him…in her dreams, these events were followed by fire. There had been a few explosions, but where was the fire? What was she going to do? He was very much afraid he knew the answer. 'Kagome-sama, what have you done?'

* * *

Naraku couldn't believe his eyes. Three beams of light, and none of them directed at him? He stared in astonishment, then laughed.

He laughed as though he were mad.

"WHAT?!" he roared. "That is what you wished for? Obviously you missed something important, miko – the jewel is still there!" It was true. The shikon no tama still floated between the miko's hands. Unexpectedly, she smirked at him – and brought her hands together in a rush. When she moved them apart once more, the shikon no tama was no where to be seen. It was finished.

"Little idiot," he hissed malevolently. "Without the jewel, you haven't got a hope! I will – "

He froze as she met his gaze, extending a hand toward him in a commanding gesture. All of a sudden he couldn't move a muscle. He felt an uncomfortable tingling go through him at the contact with her pure energy. 'How long can she keep this up? She's got to be tired,' he mused. 'When she falls, I'll finish her.'

Kagome drifted back to the ground, released from the jewel's power. Tired beyond belief, all she wanted to do was sleep. 'Ugh, can't do that. There is no way the others can do this…only Kikyou and I can.' Giving in to the inevitable, she drew more strongly on the reserve of Kikyou's strength. A rush of power went through her… 'Just enough. Good.' She braced her hands on the ground and closed her eyes once more. 'One chance…' Time to make her dreams come true.

* * *

Inuyasha gaped as tendrils of flame began to dance around Kagome's fingertips. She seemed to be drawing the power from the ground beneath her. Borrowing energy? It made sense…she had to be tired now. But he had never seen her display this degree of control over her skills. It was awesome.

__

Inuyasha?

"Say what?!" he yelped, startled. 'Some voice is talking in my head?'

__

Inuyasha, you pay attention to me or I'll put that rosary back! Feel like eating dirt?

"You're kidding me! Kagome?" he breathed. "How are you doing this?"

__

Don't forget what I asked you…remember me. Don't let this be forgotten – I'll never forget you.

"N-no! Don't be saying what I think you're saying, please…" She cut him off.

__

I love you. I always did. Always will. Don't you dare forget it.

For the second time that day, tears stung his eyes. Not caring who saw, he brushed them away angrily. Kagome had risen from her position on the ground, and had turned to face their small group. From the bemused looks on Sango and Miroku's faces, he guessed that she hadn't been 'talking' to them. His heart thumped painfully as Kagome folded her hands together in front of her, bowing low to her friends. The ultimate sign of respect and gratitude. Unmistakable for what it was.

He couldn't help it. "I love you!" he called desperately. He knew she had heard – her face lit up in a smile. He would never, ever get tired of that smile…

She turned towards Naraku, her eyes hardening to slits of cold ice. For his ears only, she snarled, "You will not walk away from this, bastard. I swear it."

He scoffed, "You don't have the power left, little one. You're wiped out, no strength remaining. The only way – " He stopped, stunned. 'She wouldn't…'

"Exactly." She raised her hands, summoning the fire she had collected within herself. Her body was obscured by a wall of flames, rushing around her figure like a molten cage. With all her might she flung her hands towards Naraku, sending a river of energy at him in a raging torrent. As he was engulfed in flames, she felt a counter-attack being sent at her. 'Oh, no you don't!' Relentlessly she increased the power, ripping his aura apart like tissue paper. This final effort was the trigger. Triumphantly she strengthened the link between them, ensuring that his very soul was demolished. No reincarnations for this monster. Finally, it was finished.

* * * * *

The three fighters watched helplessly as the two balls of flame flared brightly, connected by a chain of fire. All at once a tremendous surge of power coursed between them, causing a light so bright that the observers had no choice but to look away.

When the flames dissipated, neither of them could be seen. No Naraku…no Kagome. Just air.

Inuyasha's voice was unrecognizable. "KAGOME!" He fell to his knees, unable to stand any longer. Sango and Miroku could only look on, tears in their own eyes. "What do we do now?"

* * *

Wahhh! *Cries at what she wrote * how could I? Um, it's not over yet…very important stuff in the next chapter. Really! Throw things at me if you want, I don't mind. I almost hate myself for this…. Before you log off in disgust, hear me out! - You will hear from Kagome in the next chapter…I bet you don't guess how, though. (I _told_ you to bring the tissues!)

Next Chapter: Beloved Voice


	10. 10 Beloved Voice

I feel like shouting…..out. Ha ha. : )

Jessica T: Your reviews just get longer and longer – love it! Thanks for the suggestions, too!

Pyro: Sticks and stones may break my bones – but death threats will never hurt me * grins*

Djel: * hides in fear* no, not mildewed cabbage! Oh, the cruelty…

Sunbeam1: good guesses, didn't think of the first one actually, hmmm. 

Eartha: it was in character, wasn't it? Typical Kagome. As for people being happier….?

Mattielover: still here? Gosh! Glad you like it.

Kitsune hanyou: My lovely shield – who doesn't throw things at me. And I would NEVER not update – oh, yeah, excellent grammar. *frowns * well anyway, I wouldn't.

Zonza: Thanks very much. I wonder if anyone guesses how we hear from Kagome? There was a hint in a previous chapter, if you're interested. See who gets it!

A/N: Hey people! What a rollercoaster ride this has been! Huge, huge thank you to my reviewers…for a virtually unknown writer, this has been awesome! Second fic to date, with 71 reviews at last count…wow. Some people have been holding their breath waiting for this, so I think I'd better get a move on….before they burst! IMPORTANT: Read the A/N at the end of the chappie!!!! Ok.

Disclaimer: I have one word for you….FANfiction. That should be a bit of a giveaway….

* * *

****

Choice and Consequence

Chapter 10: Beloved Voice

Sango stood listlessly, her fingers absently gripping her Hiraikotsu. She had completely forgotten she was holding it. Everything around her was blurry. Only one thing stood out in her mind.

Kagome-chan was gone.

'Gone'. She refused to even think the word 'dead'. That just wasn't possible. Not her dearest friend, the person she had shared secrets with, joked around with, looked up to. 'Gone'. Shaking, she glanced up at the houshi beside her. Rather than the sorrow and grief she had expected to see, his face was filled with a strange mix of anger, resignation and despair. When he noticed her curious gaze, he turned his face away slightly and screwed his eyes shut. He was desperately trying to suppress his feelings, not wanting to burden his remaining friends with something so painful, but his control slipped when he reopened his eyes and saw his right hand. He clenched it into a fist, trembling with the force he exerted. 'If not for this curse…'

"Damn you, Kagome-sama!" he burst out suddenly. "Nothing was worth this, you little fool! Damn you!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Miroku found himself dangling in mid-air, held above the ground by a very, very angry Inuyasha. "Shut up, bouzu! Just shut up about Kagome!" He shook the delinquent houshi roughly, then let him fall on the ground. Miroku just stayed there, too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay attention to what was happening.

Sango watched numbly as Inuyasha slowly made his way over to the spot where Kagome had last stood. He reached out a trembling hand to the ground that was still hot to the touch from the fireball that had consumed his love…and his hate. He cringed slightly when his fingers brushed the soil beneath the place where she had made her stand against Naraku. The aura was still tremendously powerful, despite the fact that the source of the aura was gone. It was so strong, he could almost feel her standing beside him, one small hand resting on his shoulder in comfort. He could almost believe that if he twisted his head just slightly, he would see her smiling at him, laughing in that carefree way she had. He could almost detect her sweet, comfortable scent on the wind.

His chest constricted painfully as harsh sobs shook his body. He fell helplessly to his knees as his last remaining strength left him. He barely even looked up when a shadow appeared in front of him, cast by someone standing just behind him. However, when the owner of the shadow spoke…

"She fought bravely, Inuyasha. Her death is a great loss."

Rage gripped him, pushing him upwards in a blur of movement. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly at the sudden reaction that his words had caused. The fact that Inuyasha's hand was wrapped tightly around his throat was also a worry. The hanyou hadn't shown this kind of strength before.

'I should kill him right now…the bastard kept holding me back, so I couldn't save Kagome!' he thought furiously. 'All those delays…I didn't reach her in time. And Kikyou got her hands on her…' His train of thought broke off abruptly at a sudden idea. He glared at his half-brother, snarling one word at him.

"Tensaiga."

With some difficulty, Sesshoumaru prised Inuyasha's hands from around his neck. "No, Inuyasha." The hanyou stiffened at the look in the youkai's eyes – was that respect…and regret? "There is no body. With no physical form to hold it, the soul has already departed. Tensaiga will not help you now." He freed himself with one forceful shove, walking over to where he had dropped Toukijin while battling Naraku. "Our business here is finished. You should leave." He ignored the watching humans (they really were quite annoying) and quickly made his way out of the smoke-filled valley. Rin would be waiting for him…and so would Jaken. The latter he could do without, but he would not leave Rin unprotected for any longer than necessary. He looked back once at the scene of destruction, then disappeared.

The four shell-shocked companions were left alone on the charred remains of the battlefield. Kohaku looked around, a confused expression on his face. "Ane-ue, what happened here?" Sango bowed her head, tears flowing silently down her face. "Not yet, Kohaku." She gripped his hand tightly in her own and began to lead him away. "I'll tell you when we're further away from this place." She shuddered. 'I can't say it now…I'll just see it happen all over again if I think about it here.' Miroku, still scowling, pulled himself off of the floor and started to follow her, looking pointedly at Inuyasha. The hanyou looked like he might protest, but then he growled and trailed after them. Slowly, the despondent group departed the area, leaving the reminders of the day's tragedies behind them.

* * *

Shippo was inconsolable. When Sango had told her sad story (Miroku and Inuyasha refused to say a word), the little kitsune had started pummelling the ground, wailing as though his world was ending. Which, in a way, it was. His beloved Kagome – who had treated him like a son, loved him completely, protected him from harm, given him treats from her time – had put herself in mortal danger. By choice. He couldn't understand it. "Why did she do it, Sango? Why did she go?" 

Sango sighed sadly and ruffled the fur on the youkai's head gently. "It wasn't like that, Shippo. She didn't know what would happen…" 

"Oh, yes she did!" She stopped, startled by the barely restrained anger in Miroku's voice. "She knew exactly what would happen. It was deliberate." He raised his clenched fist before his eyes, opening his fingers to gaze at the smooth, unbroken skin of his restored hand. "She knew."

A low growl filled the air. "You'd better explain yourself, bouzu, before I give you a new hole in your hand." Inuyasha had turned to face him, cold anger all over his face. Miroku jumped to his feet, beginning to pace around the clearing they had stopped in. Before he could speak, a different voice cut into the silence.

"Inukkoro, where the hell is Kagome? I didn't leave her with you just to have you lose her!" Before he knew what was happening, Kouga found himself pinned to the ground. "What are you doing here, wolf?" hissed Inuyasha. 

"Stupid! I smelt your stench from miles away! Kagome's scent was missing, so I decided to come and see what had happened. Now where is she?" His forceful tone faltered at the pained look in Inuyasha's eyes. "What happened, Inuyasha?" He flinched as a stick hit him in the head.

"Miroku _was_ about to tell us a bit more about it before you barged in, you idiot!" Shippo yelled. He picked up another stick to throw at the intruder, but Sango plucked it out of his hands. "Hush, Shippo, leave him alone." She bundled him gently into her lap and looked expectantly at the houshi. Forgoing the fight in favour of information, the others subsided as well.

Miroku forced himself to stay still, clenching and unclenching his fists with the effort of controlling himself. "I suppose I'd better start from the beginning. I think this whole mess started when Kagome-sama came back to our time a few weeks ago." He glared at Inuyasha. "It was just after you managed to rip her shoulders open."

"You did WHAT?!" Kouga roared. "Why, I ought to – " Wham.

Sango retrieved Hiraikotsu and settled back onto the ground. "Shut up, Kouga. Just listen."

Miroku continued as though the interruption had never happened. "For some reason, she decided to stay with us in this time until all the shards had been found. She felt that it wasn't fair of her to keep escaping back to her time, and so she made the choice not to go back until the quest was done."

Inuyasha was stunned. "She…what? And you knew?!" It was his turn to glare at the houshi. "Why didn't you tell me, you –"

"She asked me not to!" Miroku snapped. His tone softened, and he went on, "She was afraid that you would take advantage of her choice to stay, and regard her as nothing more than a shard detector. A prize that you had won." Inuyasha said nothing to this – he didn't trust his voice at the moment. "Well, to cut a long story short, her choice resulted in her accepting her miko heritage a bit more readily – and so the dreams came. Dreams of herself dying, and of Kikyou. And fire." He flinched. "It seems the dreams were premonitions of the future, in retrospect. As to the consequences - I'm sure you saw it…she grew weaker with each passing day. So when Kagura took her, she was practically defenseless. And judging by the state of her body, Naraku nearly killed her before Inuyasha arrived. She had no energy left." 

Sango held perfectly still – she was suddenly afraid that she knew where this was going. Inuyasha and Kouga, on the other hand, showed no understanding at all. 'Typical.'

"Just before he wounded her in the neck, he told her something important About what he had done to me, and Sango…his curses." His anger, which had faded during the first part of his story, was returning as he went on. "You remember, Sango? How even if he died, Naraku's curses on us would stay?" Inuyasha stared. So that was what she had been telling them…

"Kikyou had planned Kagome-sama's death the whole time. She wanted to join with her, to make use of her powers to augment her own. She wanted to use the jewel to kill Naraku." At the mention of Kagome's death, Kouga went ghostly pale. "But…Kagome-sama wouldn't let her. In the end, Kikyou's appearance was completely gone. Kagome-sama was the one in control then. And the wish…" He trailed off, swallowing hard. Sorrow was blending in with the anger, making it hard to speak past the lump in his throat. "The word 'wish' doesn't really describe it – it's more like simply drawing on the power of the shikon no tama. And what she did…she could have just 'wished' for Naraku's destruction, but she remembered the curses. Didn't you see what happened?" He stopped.

Three beams of light.

His hand was whole.

Kohaku was alive.

Inuyasha was free of the rosary.

Miroku bowed his head…this next part was a painful memory. "She got rid of the curses (and the rosary, although I didn't understand why until later) before she attacked Naraku. Purifying the jewel took the last of her strength –she knew…she would have just enough to destroy Naraku completely." His voice shook. "She knew what it would take – she knew she would die." In his mind's eye he could still see the girl bowing in a farewell gesture – sorrow and knowledge of what was to come etched on her face. "She chose to free us instead of keeping her own life."

Understanding hit Inuyasha with the force of a rockslide. He reeled mentally. "The rosary – getting rid of it…was a 'goodbye'?" 

Kohaku sat in shock. A girl he didn't know had given him his life back, knowing she would die as a consequence? He hadn't known such people existed.

Sango said nothing. There wasn't really anything left to say.

* * *

Kouga had left shortly afterward to return to his pack. His face had been impassive, hiding an intense desire to rip something to pieces. His woman had died – without him there to protect her. He would never forgive himself. He was obviously distracted – he even said 'goodbye' civilly to Inuyasha …calling him by his proper name for the second time.

The rest of the group wandered back along the trail to Kaede's village. The old miko had to be told what had happened. Inuyasha was still stubbornly carrying Kagome's pack, unwilling to leave it behind. Nobody had dared suggest that he abandon it. It was their last visible link to their friend.

As they neared Kaede's hut, the hanyou stopped. "Uh, back soon." He raced off, leaving the pack in Miroku's hands. The houshi's eyes followed the direction that Inuyasha had taken and sighed in understanding. Sango hesitantly took his arm, wordlessly asking what he was doing. 

"He's gone to the well. I suppose he is going to see Kagome-sama's family." Oh.

A while later, Inuyasha crawled out of the well. Miroku looked up at his friend, taking care not to disturb Sango (who had fallen asleep on his shoulder while they were waiting). "Well?"

Inuyasha's voice was flat and emotionless. "I told them. I don't think they'll want to see me again." His head was still ringing from the yelling and crying. He shook himself hastily – their tears had nearly set him off, too. How…embarrassing.

He looked around. "Where's the brat?" Miroku answered while gently shaking Sango awake.

"In Kagome-sama's bag – he won't come out." Inuyasha huffed and picked up the bag. When everyone was ready, they started walking toward the hut again.

* * *

Tears ran down Kaede's face. "Ah, I was afraid of something like this. The defeat of a powerful foe often requires a sacrifice of equal worth." She looked over to where Shippo had started moving around in the bag. "Child, what are you doing?"

Shippo didn't want to answer. What he didn't want to say was that he had been trying to block out the voices that were talking about his mother's death. Again. He didn't want to hear it. A familiar scent wafted by his nose… 'Hm?' Candy? Despite himself, he was interested. Oh, ramen as well. And soap, and – a funny kind of paper? Wait, what was this? Puzzled, he pulled out a sheet of paper, filled with writing. It smelled like Kagome. He hugged it to him, making the paper crackle. The noise drew unwanted attention.

"Oi, brat, what are you doing in Kagome's bag?" Footsteps came stomping over to where he was hiding. No where to run.

He ducked instinctively as a clawed hand reached into the bag to pull him out, holding him upside down in the air. A finger poked at him. "What's that you've got?"

He tried to hide the paper. It was his – he'd found it! That damn hanyou was going to take it off him…"Nothing, dog-boy – leave me alone!" His struggles dislodged the paper from his paws, and it fell to the ground. Sango snatched it up. She glanced at the writing, her eyes widening in wonder. 'I don't believe it…' She remembered that fateful night when Inuyasha had roared at them, demanding to know where Kagome was. That she had been there…and Sango had ignored the rustling sounds coming from the campsite.

It had been Kagome, writing a letter. "Guys, you'd better hear this." Clearing her throat, she began to read.

As she read, the group could almost hear Kagome's voice speaking the words on the page. It was like having her back again. Sango's voice shook as she reached the end, and Miroku reached a comforting arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, welcoming the support he offered. Shippo curled up in the bag once more, hicupping from all the crying he had done. Inuyasha sat still as a statue. When she had finished, he picked up the letter and dashed out of the hut, leaving his stunned friends without any clue as to where he was going. And he didn't care.

He reached the Goshinboku tree and leaped up into its branches, unfolding the precious letter once more. He read the letter over and over, listening to the beautiful voice that he could still hear in his head. It would stay with him until the end of his days, he knew.

__

Hello everyone,

I have so much to say, I'm not sure if I can say it in just one letter. But I guess I'll have to try.

Right now you think I'm still with Kouga-kun. It'll probably be easier this way. I have to leave, I'm sure you know why. You won't have any trouble finding the shards with me gone, because Kikyou is much better at that than I could ever be.

Miroku, I want to thank you for all your advice to me lately. I'm sorry things have turned out this way, but it's for the best. I hope you don't regret anything you've done – and don't hide yourself from Sango-chan! You love her, you know it. I wish I could see you as a couple, but I'll just have to use my imagination. I will miss you, hentai.

Sango-chan, I can't say enough in just one letter! You are my dearest friend, no matter what time I am in. I have treasured our friendship, and will still do so even after I'm gone. You are an awesome fighter, but a beautiful woman as well - if you continue to hide that side of you from Miroku, I'll come back just to tell you off! I know you will be reunited with Kohaku someday…I wish I could be there. You deserve every happiness in the world.

Shippo, I am sorry I have to go. You've called me 'mom' a few times, I can't tell you how happy that made me! You are my precious little youkai, and I will miss you so much! Don't annoy Inuyasha too much, I can't protect you from him from my time…I wish I could see the wonderful youkai you will grow up to be in time. I love you more than you'll know.

Inuyasha…this is my last chance to tell you. Because I'm going to seal the well, and you won't be able to follow me. I know Kikyou has your heart – I saw you tonight. I can't say I'm surprised…deep down I guess I knew that would be the result…but it hurts. Because I love you. So much so that I'm going to go, and you won't have to remember all the pain we've put each other through over this. I just want you to be happy. Thank you for protecting me so well, and being my friend. I love you.

I don't regret one minute of my time with you. Sayounara.

* * *

Higurashi Kagome.

*Cries uncontrollably * Wahhh! I can't believe what I just wrote! So sad…so did you guess how we would 'hear' from Kagome? Hmm, it was tricky! I am expecting all kinds of reviewer abuse over this one…I'll just go and get my riot armor….

And that, my friends is the end. Of this fic, at least. For my beautiful fans, I am starting a new fic right away. After this tragic conclusion, I think it had better be a happy one, so – a nice fluffy S/M fic, with a bit of I/K thrown in – and a few twists along the way. What is a plot without twists? It won't all be fluff, there'll be a bit of nasty stuff as well…just to keep you interested. See you then!


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